Site: High Point, N.C. (Millis Center)
Score: Gardner-Webb 79, High Point 76
Records: GWU (7-11, 3-3 Big South), HPU (5-15, 2-5 Big South)
Next HPU Event: Saturday, Jan. 25 -- vs Longwood (Millis Center), 7 p.m.
 
HIGH POINT, N.C. -- Freshman John-Michael Wright scored a season-high 31 points, however, the High Point University men's basketball was unable to hold on to a 14-point lead in a 79-76 overtime loss to Gardner-Webb, 79-76 on Thursday (Jan. 23) evening. 
 
John-Michael Wright's 31 points were the most by a High Point freshman since Nick Barbour scored 32 against Coastal Carolina in 2008. Wright's seven made three-pointers were also a personal and team season-high.
 
"You have to close games out. They are a veteran team (Gardner-Webb) and made clutch plays and we did not," said head coach Tubby Smith. "The thing that killed us was the second chance points and points in the paint - they dominated in that area and on the boards. We got a gallant effort out of a few of our guys, especially John Michael Wright, but we just needed more people to step up and make plays."
 
Both teams came out ready to play, trading buckets early on in the game with Gardner-Webb taking a 10-7 lead into the first media timeout. Sophomore Rob Peterson III scored five of High Point's first seven points and finished the first half with a team-high three rebounds. John-Michael Wright got going early on with five early points and a three-pointer that cut the Gardner-Webb lead to 17-12 at the under-12 media timeout. 
 
An 8-1 High Point run with consecutive three-pointers by John-Michael Wright gave the Panthers the lead, 20-19, with eight minutes left in the first half. John-Michael Wright finished the first half shooting 5-7 from three, and his 20 first half points were the most scored in the first half by a Panther since Andre Fox had 20 in the opening stanza during the 2017-18 season opener against William & Mary. 
 
Sophomore Caden Sanchez also got involved in the offense, with four first half points. John-Michael Wright stayed hot with a four point play that gave the Panthers a 32-29 lead with just under three minutes left in the first and HPU took a 37-32 lead into half.
 
John-Michael Wright started off the second half the way he finished the first, scoring five of the Panthers first nine points, giving the hosts a nine point lead at the under-16 timeout. Peterson's seventh and eighth points of the night extended the Panthers' lead to double-digits with 14 minutes left in the game. 
 
Back-to-back three pointers from Denny Slay II and Jamal Wright extended the Panthers' lead to 13 with just under 10 minutes left in the contest. The Runnin' Bulldogs pushed back, cutting the HPU lead to 60-55 with just under five minutes left in the game.
 
With just over a minute left, Gardner-Webb missed a game tying three-pointer, and two free throw makes from Slay II extended the High Point lead to five. The Runnin' Bulldogs refused to go away and a quick layup followed by a three-pointer tied the game at 66 with 29.1 seconds remaining. High Point was not able to find a bucket in the final seconds of regulation and the game headed to overtime with a score of 66-66.
 
Two three-pointers from Gardner-Webb gave them a four point lead in the extra period, but a three from John-Michael Wright cut the lead to one. The Runnin' Bulldogs responded with a 7-0 run to make it a 79-71 game. Five straight points from Denny Slay cut the deficit to one score (76-79). The Panthers forced a jump ball to get a chance at a game-tying three as time expired, but 79-76 remained the final.
 
High Point returns to Millis Center on Saturday (Jan. 25) when they host Longwood at 7 p.m.