Site: High Point, N.C. (Millis Center)
Score: Longwood 72, High Point 62
Records: Longwood (7-14, 1-7 Big South), HPU (5-16, 2-6 Big South)
Next HPU Event: Thursday, Jan. 30 -- at Campbell (Buies Creek, N.C.), 7 p.m.
 
HIGH POINT, N.C. -- The High Point University men's basketball team fell to Longwood on Saturday night (Jan. 25) 72-62, despite double-digit performances from freshmen John-Michael Wright and Eric Coleman Jr. 

"Once again we were just outplayed, outcoached." Coach Tubby Smith said. "I was really impressed with their guards. They took care of business from an offensive standpoint. We were just having a tough time." 

Neither team came out shooting well, and the score was 8-5 heading into the under-12 media timeout. Coleman Jr. had four of the Panthers' first six points before a three-point play from sophomore Rob Peterson III gave High Point the 9-5 lead. Longwood responded well out of the timeout, going on a 13-2 run to take an 18-10 lead. The Lancers got going from three, finishing the half shooting 8-16 from behind the arc. 

High Point responded with a 10-5 run of their own to cut the lead to 23-20. The Panthers run included a four-point play from John-Michael that got the Millis Center crowd on their feet. Junior Denny Slay II hit from deep also to cut the Lancers' lead to 28-24 at the under-four media timeout. Slay finished the half with 9 points on 3-3 shooting from three.

Redshirt sophomore Caden Sanchez made his presence felt on the defensive end of the court, finishing the half with a game-high four blocks. He finished the night with a career-high five blocks. The Panthers as a team had five blocks and four steals in the first half, but Longwood took the 39-32 lead into the break.

The Panthers came out firing in the second and a John-Michael three-pointer followed by a Sanchez and-one play cut the Longwood lead to 41-38. Longwood started where they left off in the first with consecutive three-pointers to stretch their lead to 49-41 with just under 15 minutes left to play.

Five straight points from John-Michael Wright out of the timeout cut the Longwood lead to three. An up and under layup from senior Jamal Wright tied the game at 49 apiece. Longwood would go on a run of their own, but another Jamal Wright three-pointer cut the lead back to two, 55-53. Wright finished the game with nine points off the bench. 

The game of runs continued with Longwood taking a 62-53 lead after a 7-0 run. Both teams went scoreless for several minutes before a Peterson rebound and and-one play cut the lead to six, 66-60, with just over a minute left. Peterson finished the contest with a game-high nine rebounds. The Panthers were not able to cut further into the lead and the final score was 72-62.

High Point will be back in action on Thursday (Jan. 30) as they travel to Buies Creek, N.C. to play Campbell. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game can be streamed live on ESPN+.