SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Relentless defense and explosive scoring guided the High Point University men's basketball team to its seventh consecutive win on Thursday night, defeating USC Upstate for the fourth time in a row, 95-70, on the road.
The Panthers showcased why they lead Division I in steals per game, with five players recording at least three steals. HPU forced 27 turnovers, the fourth-most in a Big South contest in program history, and tallied 19 steals, its third-highest total this season.
Rob Martin recorded four steals,
Owen Aquino notched four,
Terry Anderson snatched three,
Cam'Ron Fletcher forced three and
Conrad Martinez tallied three.
Martin led the way on the defensive side, but his offensive performance is what stood out on the stat sheet. He scored a season-high 27 points on 5-of-9 shooting from deep and 8-of-15 shooting overall, for his eighth 20-point game of the season.
Site: G.B. Hodge Center
Score: High Point 95, USC Upstate 70
Records: High Point (23-4) (11-1), USC Upstate (11-15) (3-8)
Head Coach Flynn Clayman: "I'm proud of our consistent defensive effort over four consecutive games. This is best four game stretch against division I opponents we have ever had. Intensity and focus on that side of the ball is paramount for us. Additionally, we played very well offensively. Rob is really hitting his stride, and Terry continues to bring it at high level. Owen gave us great minutes again and our bench was fantastic. Vince continues to play well, Cam is getting his rhythm back, Conrad is an all-conference caliber point guard, and Chase knocked down a huge shot. Lastly
Scotty Washington really led our defensive effort tonight and I'm proud of him."
Martin set the tone on the offensive end early, scoring five of the team's first six points. He spun his way to the basket for a layup for the first score of the game, just moments before burying a contested 3-pointer.
Back-to-back 3-pointers for Aquino, along with a triple from
Vincent Brady II, fueled a 4-for-5 start from beyond the arc and helped the Panthers gain a double-digit advantage, 15-4, in the opening five minutes.
A 10-2 scoring run, highlighted by six straight points from Anderson, kept a double-digit lead for HPU, 29-19, with 7:15 remaining until halftime.
Over the final 3:52 of the first half, the Panthers went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc after Martinez connected on a pair of 3-pointers and
Chase Johnston converted one of his own, pushing HPU's advantage to 50-35 at the end of the first half.
The Panthers shot 41.5 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from the three-point line, while forcing 13 turnovers that resulted in 22 points. Meanwhile, HPU committed only three turnovers and did not allow USC Upstate to score off any of them.
Martin led the way for the Panthers as the team's only double-figure scorer in the first 20 minutes of action, tallying 10 points.
HPU came out the second half on fire as
Braden Hausen and
Scotty Washington each knocked down 3-pointers, while Martin poured in nine points, including splashing a triple and nailing 4-for-4 attempts at the free-throw line, in the opening 4:32 of the half to extend the Panthers' lead, 65-50.
The Panthers went on their largest scoring run of the game, 27-3 over 7:55, including runs of 3:44 and 3:12 without allowing a single point. HPU recorded eight steals over the run, helping the Panthers pull away with an 89-53 advantage. Martin's eight points over the scoring run added to his score total of 27 points, a season-high.
HPU maintained its 20-point margin over the final six minutes, winning 95-70 for High Point's third 90-point performance in conference play and 12th overall this season.
The numbers speak for themselves as HPU committed eight turnovers while forcing 27, converting those into 39 points off turnovers, while the Spartans only tallied two points off turnovers. The Panthers also out-powered USC Upstate in second-chance points, 25-7.
"We have really been picking it up on the defensive end," Clayman added, "and that's been an identity thing for us. We are No. 1 in the county in turnover margin by a pretty wide margin because we don't really turn it over much ourselves, so good job today by our guys on that."
As a team, High Point shot 44.9 percent from the field, 38.9 percent from beyond the arc and 76 percent at the charity stripe. Three Panthers joined Martin in double-figure scoring as Martinez contributed with 15 points and four assists, Anderson added 14 points and Aquino chipped in with his second consecutive double-double, 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Up Next:
The Panthers continue their road trip against Gardner-Webb at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 14, in Boiling Springs, N.C.
#GoHPU x #OnTheProwl
