Zione White scored 20 points and added seven assists to help High Point blitz Southeastern, 118-66, in the Panthers' season opener Saturday night in the Millis Center.
Chris Meeks (16 points), Patrick Hilliman (15 points), Akeem Scott (13 points) and Danny Gathings (13 points, 10 rebounds for a double-double) were also in double figures for HPU, which shot 51 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range.
It was the highest point total for the Panthers in 36 years. The last time the Panthers burned the scoreboard this brightly was in a 121-100 win over Atlantic Christian on Feb. 12, 1969.
Landon Quick added six points, seven assists and five steals, while Scott chipped in five assists and four rebounds. Issa Konaré provided six points and seven rebounds.
The Crusaders (4-3) got 19 points from Johnnie Grant and 18 points and six assists from Joey Gunter.
HPU turned 32 Crusader turnovers into 44 points, and held a 58-35 edge on the boards.
The lead changed hands several times in the sloppy opening minutes, and the Crusaders held a 15-11 lead before HPU went on a 14-2 run to grab the lead for good. Gathings nailed a jumper at the 9:48 mark of the first half to give the Panthers a 25-17 advantage.
High Point shot 54 percent in the first half and took a 57-36 lead to intermission. After the break, HPU's cushion ballooned into as large as a 60-point edge. A dunk by freshman Arizona Reid put the Panthers over the century mark (101-50) with 8:00 still to play in the contest.
HPU put together a 29-2 run midway through the half and topped the 100-point mark for the second time in as many season openers. The Panthers beat Allen, 107-71, in their first game of the 2003-04 campaign.
Southeastern is located in Lakeland, Fla., and is a Division II member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA).
Before the game, NCAA vice-president for education services Ron Stratten presented Gathings with the 2004 NCAA Division I Sportsman of the Year award. Click here to see a photo of the ceremony.
The Panthers will now pack their bags and head to the top-left corner of the map for the 2004 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout. HPU opens the tournament Thursday night in Anchorage against Oklahoma in a game that will tip off at midnight Eastern time (8:00 pm Alaska time).
