HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men's basketball team hosted Jackson State University on Saturday afternoon for Huss Bus Day and picked up the 80-71 win over the Tigers. Four Panthers scored in double digits, led by
D'Maurian Williams with 22 points, six rebounds and eight assists.
Site: Qubein Center
Score: High Point 80, Jackson State 71
Records: High Point (2-0), Jackson State (0-2)
Picking up where he left off on Wednesday night,
Chase Johnston cashed in two early threes for the Panthers to take a 13-8 lead.
Braden Hausen entered the game in the first half and contributed on the offensive end. Backing his defender down into the paint, Hausen found Thiam diving back door for an easy left-handed lay-up to put the Panthers up by seven at 20-13. A few plays later he knocked down a three from the wing after recognizing that his defender backed off of him and extended High Point's lead to 13 points at 29-16.
The High Point defense played a big role in the first half. Lock down defense, combined with help side defense and walling up in the paint made it challenging for the Tigers to get open shots. The Panthers strung together a series of hustle plays late in the half. Two back-to-back plays on defense that were started by Johnston created two fast break lay-up opportunities for Williams and
Abdoulaye Thiam. The Qubein Center was ecstatic and so was the HPU bench as JSU called a timeout.
Coming out of the timeout, High Point kept the momentum rolling as Kezza GIffa skipped up a pass to Thiam for his third three of the game to make it 39-19.
The Panthers scored their last eight points of the first half off free throws and led 47-27 at the break.
In the second half, Jackson State made minor adjustments coming out of the break and closed the 20-point gap down to single digits after 13 minutes of action.
Williams picked up his game in the second half, scoring 16 of his 22 points. The drive was working for Williams as he was able to connect on floaters and off the glass shots while also getting to the line where he went 9-for-9 during the game.
Late in the game, both teams experienced foul trouble as two players for the Panthers fouled out and one player from JSU fouled out.
With under seven minutes to go in the game, Jackson State had closed the spread to nine points at 67-58. Williams found
Kimani Hamilton wide open cutting across the baseline for the turn around dunk to keep HPU up by double digits.
High Point managed the clock and the basketball in the final five minutes of action as Jackson State only came within eight points. At the 3:54 mark,
Josh Ibukunoluwa scored his first collegiate points off an alley-oop dunk from Williams on the pick and roll action.
The Panthers held on to the lead in the end and secured the second win of the season with the 80-71 victory on Huss Bus day.
UP NEXT:
High Point hosts North Carolina Central University on Tuesday, November 12 at 7:00 p.m.
#GoHPU x #Onthe Prowl
