In a game that the High Point University men's basketball team seemed to control for much of the 40 minutes, a final three minute flurry by Loyola decided the contest as the Greyhounds rallied for a 77-71 win on Friday night at Reitz Arena.
The Panthers fall to 13-11 on the year and close the season with a 7-4 record in non-conference play. The win allows Loyola to improve to 13-12 this season and remain perfect at home (3-0) against non-MAAC squads.
Freshman Justin Dunn had a career game on the night finishing with 21 points including four three-pointers. Arizona Reid ended with 15 points and hauled down seven boards.
Loyola's Andre Collins finished with a game-high 31 points including 18 in the second half to lead the Greyhounds. Hassan Fofana, Loyola's 6-10, 270-pound center, posted a double-double scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 boards. For the game, the Greyhounds out-rebounded HPU 43-29 including a 19-5 edge on the offensive end.
The Panthers got off to a fast start and maintained an advantage for the entire first half. HPU shot 55 percent from the floor in the period including a 7-for-11 performance from beyond the 3-point line (64 percent).
Midway through the opening period, HPU grabbed a 25-17 lead following a jumper by Arizona Reid. Six quick points for the Greyhounds cut the deficit to two by Michael Jefferson swished three straight free throws to halt the Loyola spurt.
Back-to-back treys by Justin Dunn gave the Panthers a nine-point edge, 39-30, with just over a minute to play in the frame. After a free throw by LC, Reid drilled a three-pointer with the shot clock winding down to give HPU its largest lead of the half at 42-31. It was short-lived as Collins took the inbounds pass and connected on a near half-court shot to close the gap to just eight, 42-34, at the break.
The Greyhounds raced out of the blocks early in the second half, using a 9-2 run to pull to within one at 44-43. Reid scored a layup and Melvin Crowder dropped in a three-pointer to stem the tide and push HPU back in front by six.
Loyola continued to keep the pressure on and following a basket and free throw by Brad Farrell at the 11:48 mark earned their first lead of the night at 50-49. HPU quickly regained the lead scoring eight straight points.
High Point kept the lead down the stretch and actually took a lead as large as eight, 69-61, on back-to-back old-fashioned three-point plays for Dunn culminating at the 3:15 mark.
From that point, Loyola's All-American candidate Collins took over scoring 12 points in a 16-2 closing run that earned the Greyhounds the victory. Collins scored the final seven points of the game for Loyola.
High Point now turns its attention back to conference play closing its regular season slate with a trio of Big South games beginning on Monday at 9 p.m. against in-state rival UNC Asheville. The game versus the Bulldogs is set to be televised live by Fox Sports Net South from the Millis Center.
