WHEN: Saturday, December 31, 4 p.m.
WHERE: Millis Center (1,750)
RECORDS: High Point (7-6, 1-0), Longwood (4-8, 1-0)
SERIES RECORD: High Point leads 21-6
LAST MEETING: High Point def. Longwood, 89-78, on March 4, 2016
LIVE VIDEO: Big South Network
GAME NOTES: Click here (PDF)
 
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men's basketball team will look to improve to 2-0 in the Big South when the Panthers host Longwood at the Millis Center for a New Year's Eve showdown on Saturday, Dec. 31, at 4 p.m.
 
PAW PRINTS
• HPU started the 2016-17 Big South season with a 71-64 win at Gardner-Webb on Dec. 29. Redshirt-Senior Miles Bowman Jr., returned to the starting lineup and led the Panthers with 21 points while Anthony Lindauer (15 points) and Tarique Thompson (13) also finished in double figures.
 
• The Panthers did a great job of taking care of the ball against the Runnin' Bulldogs, dishing out 22 assists on 26 made baskets while turning it over just seven times. The assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.14 was the best mark of the season for the Purple & White. Lindauer dished out a career-high seven assists in the contest and freshman Jamal Wright had six assists compared to just one turnover.
 
• High Point hit eight 3-pointers at Gardner-Webb and currently sits atop the Big South and 16th in the nation in 3-point shooting at 40.9 percent. HPU has shot over .380 in all but three games this season and set a program Div. I record in 3-point shooting percentage by going 12-15 (.800) at Vanderbilt on Dec. 6.
 
• Wright dished out a career-high seven assists vs. NC Wesleyan and is second in the Big South in assists per game (3.8). He has 50 assists while committing just 29 turnovers and leads the conference with a 1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio.
 
• Redshirt-senior Miles Bowman Jr. is one of 63 players nationally with at least five double-doubles in 2016-17. He is second in the Big South and 67th nationally in rebounds/game (8.7).
 
• High Point has excelled in free throw shooting on the road, going 104-138 (.754). Bowman is first in the Big South and 22nd in the nation in free throw percentage at .907 (39-43).
 
HISTORY vs. LONGWOOD
High Point leads the all-time series against Longwood with a 21-6 record in 27 games. The Panthers are undefeated in eight games against the Lancers since Longwood joined the Big South in 2012. HPU went 3-0 against Longwood last season, winning both games during the regular season and again in the Big South Tournament. Miles Bowman Jr. (19 points), Austin White (14) and Anthony Lindauer (14) all finished in double figures against the Lancers in the Big South tournament meeting for the Panthers. Longwood's last win against HPU came in 2010 when the Lancers earned a home win over the Purple & White. High Point's only home loss to Longwood came in the teams' second-ever meeting back on Jan. 11, 1993.
 
HISTORY vs. OPPONENTS FROM VIRGINIA
High Point has complied a 75-69 (.521) record all-time against Div. I programs hailing from the Old Dominion State. HPU's most common opponents are Radford (19-22, .463), Liberty (16-21, .432) and Longwood (21-6, .778). High Point is 56-49 (.533) against Big South programs from Virginia and 19-20 (.487) against the rest of the state's Div. I teams. HPU is 0-1 against teams from Virginia this season having lost at Virginia Tech back on Nov. 15.
 
A LOOK AT THE LANCERS (4-8, 1-0 BIG SOUTH)
Gardner-Webb opened the Big South season with a thrilling 79-77 win at home over Campbell on Thursday, Dec. 29. Darrion Allen scored the winning lay up with five seconds left to give the Lancers the win, improving Longwood's record to 4-8 for the season. Khris Lane had 30 points in the contest before fouling out and he currently leads the Lancers with an average of 14.7 points per game, sixth in the Big South. Lane also leads the team with an average of 7,6 rebounds per game. The redshirt-junior forward is part of a three-headed hydra for Longwood along with Allen (14.3 ppg) and Isaiah Wilson (13.3 ppg). Longwood's struggles this season have come on the defensive end of the floor where the team has allowed 80.3 points per game on .473 shooting, both numbers dead last in the Big South. Longwood has allowed 90 or more points three times, including 113 points in a loss at Creighton.
 
UP NEXT
High Point welcomes Big South rival Winthrop to the Millis Center on Thursday Jan. 4 in the first game of 2017 for both teams. Tip in the game is set for 7 p.m.
 
#GoHPU