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The High Point University men's basketball team came back from a 17-point deficit, taking its first lead late in the second half, in a 77-75 win over Charleston Southern on Saturday night at the Millis Center. Junior Nick Barbour scored 21 of his game-high 28 points in the second half.

"This was a much-needed win, I'm really proud of the way my guys battled back from being down 17 in the first half," said HPU head coach Scott Cherry. "They came out and played great on offense and defense after being down nine at the half when they could have rolled over. Hopefully we'll be able to build on this win and keep it rolling."

High Point improved to 7-13 overall and 4-7 in the Big South while Charleston Southern fell to 12-11 overall and 6-5 in league play.

The Panthers came out flying in the second half, with Barbour leading a 14-6 run that got HPU within a point (45-44). Barbour hit three treys and a jumper and Tehran Cox also sank a three during the run. CSU was able to stop the bleeding with two baskets from Kelvin Martin and a trey from Jamarco Warren before the Panthers got baskets from Du'Vaughn Maxwell and Barbour, the last a fast-break layup off a Cox steal that cut CSU's lead to 52-48.The Panthers got within two points twice and within one (58-57) when Barbour hit all three shots on a three-shot foul.

After HPU tied it for the first time at 59-59 on a pair of free throws by Shay Shine, the score went back and forth for the rest of the game. Charleston Southern scored seven of the next 10 points to make it 66-62, then Shine hit a three and Corey Law tipped one in to give the Panthers their first lead (67-66) with 6:31 left in the game. A Law dunk and a Maxwell jumper made it 71-66 HPU, before Charleston Southern came back with the next seven points – a three pointer and a roller from Warren and a Martin alley-oop dunk.

The lead changed four times in the final four minutes, finishing with a Barbour layup that made it 76-75 with 32 seconds left. Shine grabbed the rebound of a Sheldon Strickland three-point attempt and drew a foul, hitting one of two free throws to make it 77-75. Charleston Southern had the final possession and Warren got off an awkward three-point attempt, but it missed and the Panthers grabbed the final rebound for the victory.

Charleston Southern made 10 of its first 15 shots in the game, including four three-pointers, to jump out to a 25-8 lead before the Panthers were able to even it out the play. Barbour hit a three-pointer with 10:41 remaining in the first half to start a 13-3 run that made it 28-21 CSU. Justin Cheek also hit a trey and Maxwell capped the run with a jumper. The score stayed in that range for the remainder of the half, a trey from Jairus Simms making it 37-30 before Charleston Southern's Johathan Brooks hit two free throws heading into the break.

Barbour scored his 28 points on 10-for-18 shooting, including 4-for-9 from three-point range. Maxwell finished with 13 points and six rebounds and Shine scored 10 with seven rebounds. Law grabbed a game-high 12 boards and scored six of his seven points in the second half.

Five Charleston Southern players scored in double-figures led by Warren's 19 and six assists. Strickland scored 13 points, Brooks scored 122  and Martin and Kenny Mitchell each scored 11. Mitchell grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

The Panthers are back in action on Tuesday when they host Presbyterian College at 7 p.m. The Panthers topped the Blue Hose, 64-60, in overtime when the teams last met in Clinton, S.C., on Jan. 20.