HIGH POINT, N.C. – A dominant second half from the High Point University men's basketball team allowed the Panthers to extend their win streak to four games with a 93-73 win over their second Southern Conference opponent of the season, Western Carolina, in the Qubein Center, as HPU has now scored at least 90 points in six games this season.
It was the Panthers' eighth time squaring off against the Catamounts and the fourth straight win for HPU over Western Carolina, with the last two victories also coming in the Qubein Center.
The team's leading scorer at 18.7 points a game,
Cam'Ron Fletcher, led the way in scoring for the Panthers with 20 points, 10 rebounds and four steals for his fourth 20-point performance of the season.
Rob Martin added 19 points and five assists for his fifth game this season recording at least five assists.
Terry Anderson and
Conrad Martinez also finished in double-figures as Anderson recorded 16 points, six rebounds and three steals, and Martinez added 12 points and a steal.
It was a shooting clinic from the Panthers as they knocked down a 12 made three-pointers and shot 48.0 percent from the three-point line while also shooting 56.9 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from the free-throw line.
Head Coach Flynn Clayman: "Overall it was a good second half, and a bad first half. First, I'm really proud of how we responded and second, I'm really proud of this team's ability to win seven games by double-digits. That is very hard to do. We take it for granted around here because we've been winning so much but these guys continue to show up and continue to produce against quality teams. That's a team that beat the preseason second team in our league already. I'm proud of how we played in the second half but if we play like we did in the first half against Southern Illinois then we will be in some trouble so that was the message to our guys after the game."
Site: Qubein Center
Score: High Point 93, Western Carolina 73
Records: High Point (7-1), Western Carolina (3-4)
It was a fantastic start for the Panthers, as High Point converted its first two shots, both coming from beyond the arc, as Fletcher and Anderson both splashed triples near the right wing to give HPU an early 6-0 lead.
Martin recorded back-to-back contested left-handed layups at the rim to score his first buckets of the game, cutting down the Catamounts' lead to four points, 16-12. Martinez tied the game at 17 after pulling up and draining the three-pointer from the left wing for the team's third three-ball of the game.
Quick hands from Fletcher forced the Catamounts' third turnover, allowing Fletcher open space to slam home the two-handed jam to regain the lead for the Panthers, 19-17, with 12:25 remaining in the first half.
A screen from
Owen Aquino on a baseline inbounds play allowed Martin to lob the ball into a soaring Fletcher as he caught the ball and slammed it down for two points and the HPU lead, 21-19.
Great defensive instincts by Anderson allowed him to get into the Catamounts' passing lane and deflect the ball and push it up the court for the basket at the rim and foul. Anderson could not complete the three-point play as HPU trailed 32-27.
With the shot clock ticking down, Anderson pump faked his defender, drove to the lane, and converted the running floater over the defense to give him 14 points in the game, and cut down Western Carolina's lead 34-29 with 6:09 remaining in the first half.
A missed shot from the Catamounts allowed HPU to push it in transition as the ball eventually found Fletcher, who fired the ball to the left corner to
Chase Johnston, who caught and immediately got the shot off for three points for his first points of the game as HPU continued to trail 42-39.
HPU continued its fast tempo offense as another missed shot from Western Carolina got the Panthers out in transition as Anderson led the charge up the court, finding Aquino, who then found Martinez on the perimeter, who shot faked, creating space for Martinez to drill his second three-pointer of the game, tying the game at 42 with just under one minute to go until halftime.
Johnston continued the Panthers' hot shooting as he converted a long-range triple from the left wing to give HPU the 45-43 lead at the end of the first half.
Anderson led the way for the Panthers in scoring in the first half with 14 points. Fletcher added nine points and Martin recorded eight points.
It was a terrific shooting performance from the Panthers in the first half as High Point shot 76.2 percent from the field, 75 percent from the three-point line, and 75 percent at the charity stripe.
Fletcher got the Panthers on the scoreboard first in the first half, and it was the same result to start the second half as he drove to the basket and floated the ball off the glass and into the basket for two points to extend HPU's lead, 47-43.
HPU jumped out to its largest lead of the game, 50-43. Martin drove to the paint and kicked the ball to the perimeter to a wide-open Fletcher, who was able to continue the Panthers' incredible shooting day with the team's seventh three-pointer of the game.
The Panthers extended their lead to double-digits after Martin drained a straight-away three-ball for his first made three-pointer to give HPU the 53-43 lead with 17:41 remaining in the second half.
The baseline inbounds play found Anderson, who gave the ball to Martin as he curled over the screen and drove to the basket, drawing the defense in, leaving Aquino wide open for Martin to dish the ball off as Aquino finished the dunk with two hands for Aquino's first two points of the game, and the 55-43 HPU lead.
Western Carolina was forced to call another timeout after Anderson snatched down an offensive rebound after a missed three-point shot from Martin, and kicked the ball out to the perimeter, this time to Johnston, as he converted another three-pointer for the second-chance opportunity to give the Panthers a 58-43 advantage.
Fletcher earned his second steal of the game and went the other way to rock the rim with a one-handed flush to continue HPU's 15-0 scoring run to start the second half.
The Panthers converted the perfectly executed pick-and-roll as Martinez came off the screen and gave the ball down low to Aquino, who converted the left-handed layup for two points and the foul to set up the three-point play, which Aquino was able to convert at the free-throw line to give HPU the 67-54 lead with 13:20 remaining in the game.
Braden Hausen got into the HPU shooting fun with his first two three-pointers, both coming off assists from Martin as HPU jumped its lead back up to 18 points, 75-57, with 9:28 remaining.
Martin was getting teammates involved while also adding onto his score total as he drove to the basket, drew contact, and finished the tough left-handed scoop layup for two points to put him at the line; however, Martin was unable to convert the three-point play as HPU led 79-59.
Martinez continued his hot hand with a three-pointer on the left wing thanks to a dump off from Aquino to put the Panthers up 82-59.
The three-level scoring ability from Martin was shown as he made his way to the left side of the baseline, stepped back to create space, and rose for the off-balance jumper. Then on the next play, Martin again drove to this basket, this time making his way to the right side and hit the jumper to open the game wide-open for HPU with its largest lead of the game, 91-67, with 3:44 left in the game.
A pick-and-roll allowed Martinez to come off the screen and float the ball over the defense to a flying
Caden Miller, who punched home the two-handed jam to seal the Panthers' victory 93-73.
The Panthers outscored Western Carolina in the second half, 48-30, which helped HPU extend its win streak to four games.
Up Next:
The Panthers will host Southern Illinois University in the Qubein Center on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 7:00 p.m.
#GoHPU x #OnTheProwl
