The High Point University men's basketball game dropped a disappointing 86-66 loss to a hot-shooting Charleston Southern squad on Saturday evening in the CSU Fieldhouse.

 

The loss snapped a two-game win streak for the Panthers and dropped them to 12-8 overall and 5-5 in Big South Conference action. Charleston Southern improved to 9-12, 4-6 in the Big South with the victory.

 

Arizona Reid led High Point with his 10th double-double of the season finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Akeem Scott also reached double figures scoring 16 points on the night.

 

The Buccaneers clicked on all cylinders in the game shooting 51 percent from the floor overall including a 12-for-25 (50 percent) performance from the 3-point line. CSU's dozen treys are the most allowed by High Point this season.

 

Chris Moore scored 17 points in leading five Buc players in double figures. Trent Drafts (16) and Terrell Brown (14) each drained four triples in the game and Dwayne Jackson and Donnell Covington both scored 13 points.

 

"We just couldn't get into any type of rhythm on either end of the floor today," said HPU head coach Bart Lundy. "This is a tough, disappointing loss for our team. However, we don't have time to sulk because we have to regroup quickly and get ready to play another big game on Monday night."

 

Charleston Southern got running early in the game taking an 8-3 lead just two minutes into the game. By the 14 minute mark of the opening stanza, CSU had opened up a double-digit margin (22-12). High Point tried several times to trim the deficit and actually closed the gap to just eight points, 38-30, on a three-pointer from Scott with 4:54 on the clock.

 

CSU answered with eight straight points before HPU scored back-to-back buckets to trail by 12, 46-34, at the halftime break.

 

High Point's struggles continued at the beginning of the second half as Charleston Southern slowly built their lead to 18 points (60-42) with 10:40 remaining. HPU scored seven straight points to pull to within 11 just minutes later, but could get no closer. The Bucs broke the game open late using a 12-0 spurt to lead by as many as 24 points.

 

The Panthers look to rebound on Monday night when they conclude their weekend road trip at Coastal Carolina at 7 p.m. The Chanticleers (11-9, 5-4 Big South) are 10-1 at home this year following their 64-50 win over Big South leading Winthrop on Saturday afternoon.