The High Point University men's basketball team battled, but were unable to overcome a smoldering shooting performance by the Liberty University Flames on Tuesday night in a 78-63 loss at the Vines Center.

High Point (5-15, 1-9 Big South) started fast but struggled for a stretch as Liberty (15-7, 6-4) improved to 10-1 at home this season and 11-1 against the Panthers at the Vines Center. The Flames shot 48 percent from the field for the game including a 58 percent performance in the fast-paced first half.

HPU freshman Nick Barbour scored 21 points to lead the Panthers marking his second straight 20-point performance. Eugene Harris added 17 points including five treys as High Point's other double-digit scorer. Kyle Ohman finished with 26 points to lead Liberty on the night while Seth Curry posted 18 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double.

"We came out well but give them credit for making some big shots and getting some stops late in the first half," said HPU head coach Bart Lundy. "We need to continue trying to find ways to stay consistent on the offensive end. We will bounce back from this and continue to work hard and compete. I was proud of how our group of five freshmen competed late in the game."
 
The two teams treated fans to a blistering offensive performance in the "Furnace" over the opening 10 minutes of play with both teams shooting better than 50 percent from the field. The Flames used four straight three-pointers to build a 19-13 advantage before HPU answered with back-to-back triples from Nick Barbour and Eugene Harris to tie the score at 19. The squads then traded treys over the next few possessions and a when Harris drilled his fourth three-pointer of the half, High Point held a 17-25 lead with just under 10 minutes left in the period.

Unfortunately, HPU's shooting cooled down the rest of the half as the Panthers would score just a pair of free throws in a 20-2 run by the Flames over the final 9:46 of the first period. Liberty connected on 10 of 18 three-point tries in the opening stanza and held a 45-29 lead at halftime.

The Panthers offensive struggles carried over to the start of the second half as HPU's first bucket did not come until Steadman Short made a layup at the 15:17 mark. High Point's drought from the floor lasted for over 14 minutes of game action. The Panthers clawed their way to within 57-42 behind a 12-4 surge but could get no closer as Liberty continued to shoot the ball effectively from the floor.

High Point utilized an all true freshmen lineup over the final five minutes of the game.

The Panthers conclude their current four-game road swing this weekend with a trip through South Carolina with games at Presbyterian on Saturday (7 p.m.) and Charleston Southern on Monday (7:30 p.m.)