High Point, N.C. – The High Point men's basketball team finished out the non-conference slate with a home match-up against Bellarmine. The Panthers protected the home court during the non-conference season, going 8-0 after the 90-85 victory over the Knights in the first meeting between the programs.
The 8-0 record at home ties the previous home non-conference record set during the 2006-07 season under head coach Bart Lundy who coached at HPU from 2003-2009.
Site: Qubein Center
Score: High Point 90, Bellarmine 85
Records: High Point (11-4), Bellarmine (4-11)
Facing a well-disciplined and fundamental Bellarmine team, High Point focused on the process and remained within system to execute on the offensive and defensive ends of the court.
"I thought Bellarmines physicality and screening game along with their grit and toughness with the way they run their offense really gave us problems in the first half," Head Coach
Alan Huss stated. "Credit to Kimani, Duke and Laye for deciding during the second half that they had had enough of that and helped us get a little bit of separation.
"If you are not disciplined in transition against a team like Bellarmine, they make you pay in the first four or five seconds of the shot clock and if they don't have that, you have to be fully disciplined for the next 25 seconds on defense and that is extremely difficult."
The Panthers held the lead for majority of the contest, only allowing the Knights to come within one point early in the second half.
Abdoulaye Thiam had a hot start in the first 20 minutes, scoring 12 of his 14 points.
Duke Miles and
Kezza Giffa also reached double figures in the first, each scoring 11 points.
High Point picked up the tempo on defense in the second half, becoming more active with four steals and three blocks as a team. The steals created easy buckets in transition for the Panthers and boosted the team's momentum. Miles intercepted a pass and dribbled down for a wide-open left-handed lay-up extending HPU's lead to 11, the largest lead of the game, with 8:33 left to play.
Bellarmine chipped away at the Panthers' lead and closed the gap back to three points with just over a minute left in regulation. Two big time baskets from
Kimani Hamilton helped keep High Point ahead.
"My point guard, Kezza got inside the paint and drawled the attention to him and then kicked it out to me in the corner, Hamilton stated. "I saw that my defender was trying to hurry up and run out to me, so I ripped baseline and finished. Then in the next possession Duke got in the paint again and I realized my man was watching the ball, so I took the backdoor opportunity."
The Knights came within three points after knocking down free throws with 13 seconds left. Having to foul,
Trae Benham went to the line and hit the clutch free throws at the end to keep HPU up by five before the clock ran out.
Hamilton ended the game with 23 points and six rebounds to lead the team. Five other Panthers scored in double figures including
Juslin Bodo Bodo with 10 points and nine rebounds, Benham with 10 points, Thiam with 14, Miles with 16 and Giffa with 12.
As a team the Panthers shot 79.3% from the free throw line going 23 for 29 and 52.6% from the field going 30 for 57.
Up Next:
High Point begins Big South conference play on the road at Radford University, Wednesday January 3
rd at 7:00 pm.
#GoHPU
