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The High Point University men's basketball team overcame a tied halftime score for a 104-84 victory over the Bahamas All-Stars on Tuesday night at Sir Kendal Isaacs Gym in Nassau, Bahamas. Junior Nick Barbour scored a game-high 23 points along with nine rebounds and Du'Vaughn Maxwell posted his second double-double of the week with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

"The best part about this game was the second half and the way we responded," said HPU head coach Scott Cherry. "We got out of the gate well in the first half and things started to go against us. We let their style dictate the game which led to the tied score at halftime. In the second half, our guys game out and established our style of play and adjusted well to how the game was being called. Our guys helped one another and we got great contributions from everyone, especially Du'Vaughn Maxwell and Dave Campbell. The best part was bringing Tehran Cox home and helping him win two games in front of his family."

The Bahamas All-Stars won the opening tip and got a quick basket from Kevin Hinsey before the Panthers evened it with a pair of free throws from Shay Shine. Barbour followed it up with a trey, then dished a great fast-break pass to Cox, who scored on a layup. Shine hit another fast-break layup to make it 9-2 and the Panthers' run continued. Cameron Solomon stretched the lead to 18-5 when he hit a jumper, then got a steal and hit a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession. The All-Stars began to find the basket, but HPU maintained a strong lead and Barbour hit a 3-pointer to close out the first quarter with a 32-19 Panthers lead.

The Bahamas All-Stars opened up the second quarter with 13 straight points to close the gap to 34-32. HPU began to find the basket and a long-range three by Barbour made it 42-34, but the All-Stars made another run. They came back and got within a point (44-43) on a 3-pointer by Garvin Lightbourn and tied it when Lightbourn made one of three free-throw attempts in the final minute to make it 44-44 at halftime.

The Panthers opened up the second half with the first three baskets – a putback by Barbour, another putback by Earnest Bridges before a reverse layup from Justin Cheek. The game went back and forth with the Panthers holding a small lead throughout the quarter. At one point, Barbour hit a 3-pointer and Solomon hit two treys that were interspersed by free throws by the All-Stars. Maxwell completed a two-and-one to give HPU its first double-digit lead since early in the second quarter, a 69-58 edge with 3:19 left in the third. The Panthers followed that up with fast-break baskets by Jairus Simms and Barbour to make it 73-58. HPU continued to push its lead, ending the third with a pair of free throws by Barbour that made it 79-61.

Cox hit a pull-up jumper to open up the final quarter and the Panthers continued to hold a strong lead. Barbour connected with Shine for a great ally oop followed by a basket from Travis Elliott that pushed the Panthers' lead over 20 points (89-68) for the first time in the game. Maxwell made two highlight-reel plays in a row – first a dunk and then a great block as the Panthers held a 93-73 lead with under five minutes in the game. A one-handed dunk by Maxwell with under three minutes made it 99-77 and he fouled out on the next play. HPU continued to hold the lead to make the final 104-84.

Behind Barbour and Maxwell, Solomon scored 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor and Cheek scored 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

Lightbourn finished with 21 points for the Bahamas All-Stars followed by 18 by Michael Bain and 14 from Hinsey.

In their first game in the Bahamas on Sunday night, HPU beat the Real Deal Shockers 92-71 behind a 19-point performance from Barbour.

The Panthers have one more day in the Bahamas before returning to North Carolina on Thursday. The regular season begins with an exhibition game against Bridgewater College on Nov. 6 before the season opener on Nov. 13 against Ferrum College at the Millis Center.