Box Score BOX SCORE
Postgame with Scott Cherry
Postgame with Eugene Harris

Senior Eugene Harris scored 17 points and went three-for-four on three-pointers in the second half to lead the High Point University men's basketball team to a 78-68 win over Gardner-Webb before a crowd of 1,252 at the Millis Center on Saturday night. Three other scored in double digits for HPU.

High Point improved to 6-6 overall and 2-1 in Big South games while Gardner-Webb dropped to 3-9 and 0-2 in the Big South. It's the first time since 2006-07 that HPU won two of its first three league games.

"This is a great start in the league for us," said HPU head coach Scott Cherry. "We split two on the road and we come home for three games. It's a great start but it's a long way to the finish line."

"I'm happy for our guys and the way they came out with energy and enthusiasm, especially in the first half," said Cherry. "We lost focus a little bit and went basket-for-basket with them, but then we really clamped down. Our bench gave us a huge spark to come in and play good defense and make shots. We need all 10 guys to produce."

Nick Barbour hit his 37th three-pointer of the season to begin the game and the Panthers led 21-11 after 10 minutes of play. In that span, Gardner-Webb committed nine turnovers to HPU's one. HPU got strong play from freshman point guard Jairus Simms throughout the first half. On one play, Simms got his pocket picked by Gardner-Webb's Thomas Staton only to go to the other end and steal the ball back to set up a Barbour layup. On the ensuing play, Simms grabbed the rebound of an Anton Silver shot and set up Barbour for another lay in.

With High Point leading 27-18 late in the first half, Gardner-Webb's Grayson Flittner hit consecutive three-pointers through strong defense by Harris and David Singleton, respectively, to narrow it to 27-24. Before halftime, Gardner-Webb had narrowed the Panthers' lead to 31-29.

Gardner-Webb challenged early in the second half and took its first lead of the game when Flittner sank another trey to make it 41-40.The Panthers quickly got it back when Harris hit his third three-pointer of the game on an assist from Singleton. A minute later, Singleton scored on a layup to make it 45-43 in favor of HPU. The Running Bulldogs had taken the lead back shortly after the 12-minute mark before Cruz Daniels converted a three-point play and Jourdan Morris hit a jumper to give HPU a 52-49 advantage.

High Point opened up a cushion for the first time in the second half as they continued to hit shots. Harris hit another three-pointer, Singleton sank a pair of free throws and Morris capped it with a jumper that made it 60-51 HPU. After the teams traded baskets, Morris hit another jumper to give HPU its first double-digit lead since early in the game at 61-51. With under four minutes to play, Tehran Cox drew a foul and sank both free throws to push HPU's lead to 70-58.

GWU played hard until the end, forcing HPU to make foul shots to maintain its lead. In the final minute, Gardner-Webb had cut HPU's lead to nine points and forced a turnover when Daniels came up with a huge block on a Jonathan Moore attempt. Cox picked up a foul and made one of his two free throws to seal the game at 78-68.

Behind Harris, Barbour scored 14 points and Daniels and Morris each netted 10. Daniels led HPU with seven rebounds and three blocks. Flittner led all scorers with 26 points, including six three-pointers while Silver had a double-double with 12 points and 12 boards.

High Point hosts UNC Asheville on Monday at 7 p.m. after the HPU women's basketball team hosts Coastal Carolina at 4 p.m. The Panthers lost two close games to UNC Asheville last season, the first by a two-point margin and the second in overtime.

"I'm feeling good about the game against Asheville," said Cherry. "We're healthy and nobody had to play too many minutes tonight. They beat Gardner-Webb at Gardner-Webb, so we're going to have to be ready to produce. We'll need all 10 guys again, they've got to be ready to step up."