HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point men's basketball team welcomed the Longwood Lancers to the Qubein Center for an action-packed night in front of the Panther fans. After being down 17 in the second half, High Point battled back in the final minutes of play to come within one three-point basket of overtime. Not able to buy either of their two, last possession shot attempts, the Panther fell short 70-67.
Four Panthers finished in double figures, led by
Abdoulaye Thiam with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Site: Qubein Center
Score: High Point 67, Longwood 70
Records: High Point (11-15, 3-11) Longwood (18-9, 10-4)
Coaches
G.G. Smith: "I thought the last 16 minutes, our guys played really really good. I thought they played the best defense they had all year. We were down 17 and still won the half by five. Our guys kept competing and they didn't give up. We were just a three-point shot short."
Securing High Point's first two baskets,
Zack Austin opened the game with a three and an alley-oop slam from
Bryant Randleman.
Five minutes into the first half stretch, the Panthers went down 11-5 but a knock down three from
Jaden House kept High Point on the Lancers tail.
A one-point difference, at the eight-minute mark was the closest HPU came to Longwood before the Lancers tarried on a 10-point lead a few minutes before the break.
Randleman scored the last Panther basket before going into the locker-room, taking it coast to coast for a finger roll lay-up.
High Point came out flat to start the second half, letting Longwood take a 9-2 run in the first five minutes.
The team kicked it into gear shortly after, stepping it up on defense and getting to the rack on offense. In a span of five minutes, following the 17 point deficit, the largest deficit of the game, High Point had three, and-one plays, collecting the extra point on one.
HPU cut the game to three with just over five minutes to go in the game with a pass from Randleman to
Bryson Childress for a knock down three-pointer.
With the momentum rolling, Thiam drained a three from the corner with 1:33 to go in the game to make it 67-65, Lancers.
Unable to get the quick steal, High Point had to foul, sending Longwood to the line for two. Swishing both shots, Deshaun Watson put the Lancers up by four with 16 seconds left.
With what would have been the Panthers last possession, Longwood fouled Thiam in open court, sending him to the line for two in the double bonus. Swishing both, Thiam put High Point back within two points.
The Panthers, having to foul again, sent the Lancers' Zac Watson to the line for two. Only hitting the first shot, HPU had a chance with nine seconds left to tie the game with a three-point basket but both attempts would find the front of the rim resulting in a hard-fought loss for the Panthers inside the Qubein Center.
Up Next: The Panthers travel down to Presbyterian to play the Blue Hose on Wednesday, February 15
th at 7:00pm.
#GoHPU
