JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – For the second consecutive year, the High Point University men's basketball team advanced to the 2026 Air Force Reserve Big South Basketball Championships final after a 75-71 victory over UNC Asheville on Saturday afternoon in the semifinals.
Just 364 days separated the last time the Panthers went to the Big South championship game, and it was similar faces from last year's team that stepped up to contribute to the win.
Terry Anderson became the first HPU player with 20 points, 10 rebounds in a tournament game since Zack Austin did so in 2022 in the first round against Hampton, as Anderson finished with a team-high 25 points and 12 rebounds for his second straight double-double and sixth of the season.
Rob Martin tallied 18 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals, and
Scotty Washington chipped in with 14 points, five rebounds and four steals.
HPU tied a program and Big South record with its 29th victory, matching its total from last season and the 2006-07 Winthrop Eagles. The 29 wins are also the second-most in the nation.
Site: Freedom Hall Civic Center
Score: High Point 75, UNC Asheville 71
Records: High Point (29-4) (15-1), UNC Asheville (15-17) (8-8)
Head Coach Flynn Clayman: "I thought on our side, we handled a lot of toughness. We handled a lot of adversity. We didn't break when we got down. I'm just really proud of this team. I'm really proud to call this my first team. This team has now tied the most wins in Big South history already. They have a chance to set a record on that, tomorrow. To lose 96% of our scoring or whatever we lost last year and to have a bunch of new guys come in and work for each other, sacrifice for each… great team effort. Proud of the guys and looking forward to tomorrow."
Anderson and Martin led the charge in the opening 5:30, combining to score the first 11 Panther points, including a 3-pointer from Anderson as he totaled seven points early. HPU fell behind by six points, but a pair of 3-pointers from
Scotty Washington and
Braden Hausen on back-to-back possessions tied the game at 21 with 10:26 left in the first half.
HPU held UNC Asheville without a basket for 5:40, and Martin caught fire with a driving layup and 3-pointer, helping the Panthers grab their largest lead of the game, 32-23, with under five minutes to play until halftime.
The Bulldogs closed the half on an 11-2 scoring drive as HPU went into halftime trailing by a single point, 34-33. Anderson led the way in scoring with 11 points and eight rebounds (three offensive). Martin added nine points, four assists and two steals. The Panthers shot 38.7 percent from the field and converted 5-of-7 free throws.
Anderson started the scoring in the second half, draining a 3-pointer immediately after the break to regain the lead for HPU, 36-34, and continued to leave nothing on the table, recording three baskets inside the paint a few minutes later.
The building erupted in the Freedom Hall from Panther fans after Martin stopped, popped and splashed a 3-pointer, which came after Washington cashed in a bucket on the previous possession. HPU's 5-0 run pushed its lead to five points, 51-46, with 11:21 remaining.
Over the next nearly three and a half minutes, HPU started yet another scoring run as buckets from Washington and a 3-pointer from sharpshooter
Chase Johnston helped the Panthers outscore Asheville 12-5 to extend their lead, 58-51, with 8:55 left.
With 1:07 remaining and HPU up six points, Johnston drilled the biggest shot of the game and possibly his career, after Martin found him open on the right wing, giving HPU the 71-62 lead.
"I just told him, shoot with confidence, and I had two defenders on me, and I hit him, and I believed in him to knock the shot down," said Martin.
The Panthers converted four free throws in the final 44 seconds to ice the game, 75-71, and send HPU to the championship game for the second consecutive season. HPU extends its winning streak to four straight against the Bulldogs and 13 games overall, which is the third-longest streak in NCAA Division I behind Miami (OH) and Navy.
Up Next:
The Panthers set their eye on the championship game on Sunday, March 8, at noon against the winner of the No. 2 seed Winthrop/No. 6 seed Presbyterian game.
#GoHPU x #OnTheProwl
