Danny Gathings led all scorers with 18 points as High Point cruised into the semifinals of the 2004 Advance Auto Parts Big South Tournament with a 75-43 win over VMI Tuesday night at the Millis Center.
High Point's 32-point margin of victory was the largest in a Big South Tournament game since Coastal Carolina's 83-46 win over Campbell in the 1991 event.
The Panthers (18-10) will play sixth-seeded UNC Asheville (a 49-46 winner over Winthrop) in a semifinal game Thursday night at 9:00 pm in High Point. The game will be broadcast live on the Big South TV Network. which includes Time Warner Cable Channel 69 in High Point and Greensboro, WXIV-14 in Reidsville/Danville, Va., and College Sports Television nationwide. Visit bigsouthsports.com or check local listings for a station in your area.
Tickets will be available at the door beginning at 7:00 pm at the cost of $7 for adults and $4 for seniors and children. Shuttle service will begin at 7:45 pm from Liberty Steakhouse at Oak Hollow Mall.
VMI, which fell to 6-22, got a team-high 14 points from Radee Skipworth and a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) from Matt Murrer.
HPU made its first eight shots from the field and jumped out to a 12-point advantage six minutes into the game on one of Gathings' three first-half dunks, which gave the Panthers a 20-8 lead. High Point would hold the Keydets scoreless for the final 8:14 of the period after Skipworth's jump shot pulled VMI within 28-15. The Panthers finished the half on a 12-0 run, capped by Brent Halsch's tip-in just before the buzzer, to take a 40-15 cushion to intermission.
The Keydets, who shot just 25 percent (6-of-24) from the field in the first half, scored the first basket of the final period on a dunk by Murrer, but wouldn't get closer than 23 points the rest of the way. High Point led by as many as 37 points on four different occasions, the last after Chris Mayshack's jumper with 4:43 to play that made it 71-34.
11 of the 12 High Point players that saw action scored at least two points. Chris Meeks added 11 points off the bench for HPU, which outrebounded the Keydets by a 49-29 count.
Halsch (HPU) and Richard Little (VMI) each collected five assists, while Tadas Mankevicius collected four blocks for the Keydets.
POSTGAME QUOTES
HIGH POINT HEAD COACH BART LUNDY
"I thought our focus was very good. We had a great week of practice, and it carried over into us playing really well tonight. We ran our sets better than we had in a long time. Once we got the lead I think they may have panicked a little bit, and we were able to take control from there."
(on playing at home in the Tournament)
"Obviously I liked that we were the second seed… when you get a higher seed in this format it plays to your advantage. It's hard to complain about getting to play in front of your fans."
(on Chris Meeks' play off the bench)
"Chris needed a game like tonight. He's really struggled with injuries and today he was able to get out there, settle into his groove and put some points on the board. He was a big key for us."
HIGH POINT JUNIOR FORWARD DANNY GATHINGS
"We needed to have a game like this. We played with a lot of intensity, we were prepared well and everybody did what they were supposed to. We've played our whole season for three games, and they started tonight."
VMI HEAD COACH BART BELLAIRS
"When High Point plays that way, they're the best team in our league. They have great quickness and great athletes. We were just a step slower today."
"I thought the biggest key was their rebounding – they really hit the boards and were on top of their game."
"I'm going to miss my two seniors [Skipworth and Little] very badly. They're great people, and I really think Skip is as good a player as there is in this league. And there are a lot of great athletes in this league – it doesn't get the attention it deserves, but there are some really good players here."
