BOX SCORE
Podcast Review
Postgame with Scott Cherry

Senior Eugene Harris drained a three pointer with 34 seconds left in the game to lift the High Point University men's basketball team to a 58-55 win over North Carolina Central Monday night at McDougald-McLendon Gym in Durham, N.C. HPU's nine wins ties its total from last season.
 
“I can't say enough about Eugene Harris, he stepped up and made a shot when we needed it,” said HPU head coach Scott Cherry. “That's what seniors do for you and that's what he has done in the last several games. We got stops when we needed them and made some plays.”

With the score tied at 55-55, the Eagles missed three baskets before Corey Law pulled down the rebound for High Point. After an HPU timeout Harris hit the trey to put the Panthers up 58-55. On the last possession Michael Glasker missed a three-pointer for the Eagles but possession stayed with NCCU. Glasker tried for the layup but missed and Jourdan Morris pulled down the rebound, sealing the win for the Panthers.

Harris finished the game with 16 points as the Panthers improved to 9-6 (4-1 Big South). North Carolina Central fell to 2-15 on the season. Sophomore David Singleton had 10 points, five rebounds and four assists in his first start of the season and Morris came off the bench to add 11 points.

The Panthers jumped out to an 18-9 lead nine minutes in to the first half on a three-pointer by Harris. The Eagles scored nine unanswered points, with a layup by C.J. Wilkerson knotting the score at 18-18. On the next Panther possession, Jairus Simms missed a jumper from the left wing but Singleton collected the offensive rebound and the second chance basket to put HPU up 20-18.

The Eagles pulled within one, 25-24, on a three-point play by Vincent Davis. Law dunked a pass from Tehran Cox and Singleton came up with a steal, leading to another dunk for Law to put HPU up 31-24. Wilkerson scored the final bucket of the half for NCCU, sending the Panthers in to the locker room with a 31-26 advantage.

High Point took an 11-point lead, the largest of the game, at 46-35 on a trey by Simms. North Carolina Central battled back to take a 52-51 lead with 5:18 left in the game. Glasker stripped the ball from Singleton and fed it ahead to Davis for the layup. Davis converted the free throw for the three-point play and the lead. NCCU extended the lead to 55-53 before Harris hit a jumper to tie the score at 55 with 2:26 remaining in the game.

The Panthers return to Big South action Thursday when they take travel to Charleston, S.C. to face Charleston Southern at 7:30 p.m.