Mark Wilson poured in 31 points and High Point shot 52 percent from the field to claim an 85-72 win over Birmingham-Southern in an early-season Big South Conference showdown in the Millis Center.
Danny Gathings tossed in 16 points and blocked three shots and Jerry Echenique added 14 points for HPU (7-8, 2-0 Big South), which won its fourth-straight game and fifth in its last six tries.
Issa Konaré added eight points and a team-best five rebounds for HPU, which got eight points and a game-high six assists from Titus Byrd.
Birmingham-Southern (8-5, 1-1) saw its three-game win streak come to an end. BSC got 19 points from James Collins, 16 points from Jakob Sigurdarson and 13 points from Thomas Viglianco. Shema Mbyirukira had six points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Wilson's 31 points in the battle of Panthers were the best scoring output for a High Point player since Dustin Van Weerdhuizen scored 38 points in a victory over Liberty on Feb. 26, 2003. Wilson shot 13-of-17 from the field and scored 18 points in the first half.
The lead changed hands several times in the opening minutes before BSC used a 7-2 run to grab a 34-27 advantage on a three-pointer by Rostislav Vergun with 5:41 to play before halftime. After High Point got within 34-32, BSC took a 38-32 lead on a tip-in by Mbyirukira with 2:38 left in the half.
But HPU put the clamps on defensively and finished the stanza on a 10-0 run which featured a layup by Wilson, a steal by Zione White and another layup by Wilson to take a 42-38 edge to the locker room.
High Point jumped out to a 50-42 lead in the opening moments of the second half. BSC pulled within three points on two occasions (the last following a layup by Jimmy Amerson at the 14:42 mark to get within 52-49), but could claw no closer. HPU scored seven straight points (Wilson accounted for five straight) to take its first double-digit lead of the game at 59-49 with 11:49 to play.
The closest Birmingham-Southern got after that point was 61-55 after two Collins free throws with 8:08 left, but Wilson's layup and free throw and a tip-in by Konare pushed the lead back to double-figures again. High Point led by as many as 15 points in the final stanza to claim the win over the preseason Big South Conference favorites.
High Point turned 16 BSC turnovers into 20 points. Birmingham-Southern shot 42 percent from the field and held a 37-32 edge on the boards.
HPU had 15 assists against just 12 turnovers, and has won the turnover battle in eight of its last nine contests.
HPU finishes up its four-game homestand Wednesday in the Millis Center against UNC Asheville (7:00 pm). The Panthers will then hit the road for the first time in Conference play, visiting Charleston Southern and Coastal Carolina Jan. 15-17.
For game notes for the HPU/UNCA game, click on the link below.
