For the second consecutive game, High Point ran into a hot-shooting opponent suffering a disappointing 78-60 loss at Coastal Carolina on Monday night.
The loss was the second straight for the Panthers, who fall to 12-9 overall and 5-6 in the Big South. Coastal Carolina improved to 12-9, 6-4 after posting their fourth straight win. The Chants also improved to 11-1 at home in Kimbel Arena this year.
Akeem Scott scored 19 points to pace HPU in the loss with Arizona Reid chipping in 17 points and nine rebounds. The Panthers struggled from the floor finishing the game shooting just 34 percent.
Coastal placed four players in double figures led by Jack Leasure with 23. Leasure, the Big South leader in three-pointers, connected on 7 of 11 from deep en route to his game high total. Joseph Harris posted a double-double with career highs in both scoring (14 points) and rebounding (16).
The Chants shot 54 percent from the field for the game including a blistering 65.4 percent performance (17-26) in the second half as they put the game out of reach. With 10 treys in the game, Coastal becomes the second straight HPU foe to post a double-digit total from long range.
"We just aren't making plays right now," said HPU head coach Bart Lundy. "We seem to get in position especially on defense and just can't get anything to work for us. I was a little disappointed in the second and third chance opportunities we allowed tonight. We can't keep looking to make the next play, we need to start making the play right now. This was a tough weekend and we just have to find a way to refocus and get ready for another big game for us on Saturday."
The two squads battled back-and-forth at the start of the game before Coastal Carolina moved in front by five, 17-12, with just under 12 minutes left. Following the media timeout, HPU raced back in front scoring eight straight points on a Mike Jefferson three-pointer, a three-point play for Scott and a basket by Troy Bowen.
After the Panther spurt, Coastal responded by closing the half on a 20-8 surge to lead at the break by nine, 37-28. The Chanticleers connected on 47 percent of its shots from the floor in the period including five treys while HPU shot just 37 percent making only 1 of 10 three-point attempts. CCU had no points from its bench in the frame as the five starters accounted for all the scoring.
Following the break, Coastal continued their strong play as they extended their advantage to 14 points (44-30) just a couple minutes into the action. Back-to-back treys from Reid and Scott closed the deficit to 47-38 at the 11:55 mark. However, CCU responded by outscoring the Panthers 13-6 over the next three minutes to move back in front by double-digits, 60-44. Bowen accounted for all the HPU points draining a pair of treys in the stretch.
High Point kept battling but could only get as close as 11 as the Chants made clutch shots and free throws down the stretch to earn the victory. The Coastal starters accounted for 72 of the squad's 76 points in the game and played 164 of the available 200 minutes on the court.
For the Panthers, the loss snapped a three-game win streak against Coastal and also marked Lundy's first loss in three visits to Kimbel Arena.
High Point will have nearly a week off from competition before returning to the hardwood on Saturday at 7 p.m. (CT) at Big South leading Birmingham-Southern. Coastal next visits Charleston Southern on Thursday night.
