The High Point University men's basketball team battled for 40 minutes but a determined and hot-shooting  VMI Keydet squad proved too strong handing the Panthers a disappointing 91-81 loss in the semifinals of the Advance Auto Parts Big South Basketball Championship on Thursday night at Winthrop Coliseum.

VMI's Reggie Williams scored 28 points and Travis Holmes recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in leading No. 6 seed VMI (14-18) to the upset win over No. 2 seed High Point 
 
VMI and High Point combined for 27 three-pointers and 69 three-point attempts attempts to set Tournament single-game records, while HPU's 15 treys set the Tournament record for one team.  VMI's 91 points tied the record for most points scored in a Semifinal game, while High Point's Eugene Harris matched the individual game record for three-pointers made with seven. 

Williams led five Keydets in double figures, while Harris led the way for High Point with 23 points. Mike Jefferson finished with 17 points, including five treys, and nine assists while Arizona Reid added 13 points and eight rebounds for HPU. Jerald Minnis led the way on the glass for the Panthers with 10.

The game opened up back and forth early on.  The Keydets took advantage midway through the first half and opened up a 30-22 lead on the strength of 6-of-11 from three-point land and 60 percent from the field.   Fred Robinson (three) and Travis Holmes (two) combined for five of the Keydets' first six treys.

The Panthers' Troy Bowen's trey at 6:48 sparked a Panther run as HPU battled to cut the lead to one at 36-35 at 5:19.  A trey by Williams 19 seconds later pushed VMI's lead to 39-35. Both teams went scoreless until a Matt Murrer lay-up broke the drought to put VMI up 41-35 with 3:38 left go in the first half.  The Keydets and the Panthers traded baskets through the final three minutes and VMI went into the locker room with a 48-43 lead.  VMI shot 54 percent from the floor in the first half and 50 percent from long range, while HPU was 43 percent from the floor and 36 percent from long range.

High Point took the lead at 49-48 on back-to-back threes from Jefferson and Harris.  Williams answered with a jumper, but Harris added another trey to put High Point up 52-50 four minutes into the second half.  The two teams traded baskets and VMI re-took the lead with 12:54 to go with a jumper by Travis Holmes, followed by a dunk by Murrer to put the Keydets up, 60-55 with 12:26 left go in the second.

After trading baskets yet again, a Jefferson three, followed by a Bowen lay-in cut VMI's lead to five at 65-60.  A couple trips up and down the floor pushed the Keydets lead to 72-64 with 8:00 left.  High Point turned the heat on and got to within four (76-72) with 4:30 left with treys by Harris and Jefferson.  Williams connected on two free throws as VMI extended its lead to 78-72 with 3:44 left.  A dunk by Murrer and a dunk by Travis Holmes found the Keydets with a 10-point lead at 82-72 with 2:52 left go.  High Point and VMI traded baskets and VMI took the lead 85-77 with under a minute left to go.  High Point began to foul but could not get any closer.

High Point has now advanced to the semifinal round of the Big South Tournament for the fourth consecutive season under Coach Bart Lundy. The Panthers 22-10 finish marks the best season in the program's eight-year Division I era. 

High Point Head Coach Bart Lundy: 
"First of all, I want to say how proud I am of our team and the great season we had. Tonight was another learning experience for a young team with just one senior. Hopefully, we can grow from this game. As far as the game tonight, it is pretty simple, I think it was won and lost on our defensive end. We scored enough points to win a game but we just didn't defend or rebound well enough. They seemed to make every hustle play. I give VMI credit for packing in the zone and making us shoot three-pointers and then getting the rebounds. They also had a quick start that caused us to keep playing from behind."

VMI Head Coach Duggar Baucom:
"I'm very proud of my team.  Travis Holmes was unbelievable the whole game and Fred Robinson gave us a huge lift with some big shots in the first half.  The guys had very active hands, making deflections and making plays.  I told the team that if we outrebound them, we will win the game.  It was all heart, and we took care of business at the end.  High Point made a run at the end and the guys just kept fighting and fighting."