Game Info
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Saturday, December 18th—vs UNCW (Qubein Center) 2:00 PM on ESPN+
Live Stats | Watch | High Point Hoops Media Guide 2021-22 | Game Notes
High Point University men's basketball (5-5) returns to the Qubein Center to the University of North Carolina Wilmington on Saturday (Dec. 18th) at 2:00 PM. The game against the Seahawks is the last two non-conference games that HPU will host in Qubein Center before heading to Michigan State and Kentucky after Christmas. Big South play for HPU begins in the Qubein Center on January 5th.
Across the Bench
UNCW will face two Big South schools this season facing both Campbell and HPU.
The Seahawks are led by Takayo Siddle who was a member of now NC State head coach Kevin Keatts' staff at UNCW when he was there.
UNCW was picked to finish ninth in the CAA in the preseason poll.
Last Time Out
HPU fell in a one-point contest to South Carolina State 67-66 in the first game of the No Room for Racism Classic at the new Rock Hill Sports & Events Center. John-Michael Wright led the way in scoring for HPU with a 29-point performance. Zack Austin joined JMW in scoring at least 20 points as he added just that amount. The Bulldogs stopped HPU's spirited comeback at the end of the game in the final moments to win by one.
Do The Wright Thing
Wright is averaging 21.6 points per game which leads the Big South and gives him the 7th highest points per game average in the nation. Wright is currently 8th all-time on the HPU scoring list with 1123. He is 50 points away from moving into 7th and surpassing Dustin Van Weerdhuizen.
Three-Peat
Austin dropped 14 points in the win against Guilford College while also bringing in 12 rebounds for what was the second double-double of the season. He added three blocks in the win against the Quakers. He scored 20 points in the 67-66 contest against South Carolina State as part of the No Room for Racism Classic. Marking the third time in his freshman season that he has recorded 20 points or more. He had five blocks against the Bulldogs. Austin is averaging 3.40 blocks per game which is the sixth most in the nation. This is the third time in four weeks that Austin has earned Big South Freshman of the Week honors. It's the second straight week he has earned the Freshman of the Week accolade.
Tubby and the Three
The Panthers are shooting at 36.7 percent behind the arc, which is the 69th highest three-point percentage in the nation. This is the second time since his 1998 National Championship winning team that Tubby Smith has coached a team in the top 100 of three-point percentage. High Point (36.9, 66th, 2021-22) Minnesota (39.9, 9th, 2009-10).
Block Party
Austin is second in the Big South and 7th in the country in blocks per game with an average of 3.40.
Non-Conference Play
High Point will play 14 non-conference games in total, nine of them taking place inside the beautiful Qubein Center in its inaugural season and the other five occurring on the road. Four of the Panthers' five opponents on the road are Power-Five teams.
UP NEXT
HPU will stay in High Point to host FAU on Tuesday, December 21st in what will be the last non-conference home game before the Panthers close non-conference play with two Power-5 games against Michigan State and Kentucky.
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