JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – As the game clock ticked down and the buzzer sounded, the High Point University men's basketball team rushed center court in celebration after winning its second consecutive Big South championship on Saturday against Winthrop, 91-76, to send the Panthers dancing.
It's the second time in program history the Panthers hoisted the Big South championship trophy and cut down the nets. The victory marks the Panthers 30th win of the season, breaking the program and conference record of 29 wins set by High Point last season and Winthrop in 2006-07. The Panthers become the first Big South team to win back-to-back tournament championships since Winthrop from 2019-21. Head Coach
Flynn Clayman becomes the first head coach in Big South history to win the Big South Championship in his first-year since 1998-99.
Rob Martin,
Scotty Washington and
Terry Anderson were named to the All-Tournament team, and Anderson was named the tournament MVP. Martin finished with a game-high 24 points and seven assists. Anderson contributed with 18 points, shooting 6-10 from the field. Cam'ron Fletcher poured in 17 points and 19 rebounds (season high) for his sixth double-double of the season, and the eighth game he's recorded 10 rebounds.
Chase Johnston added 11 points on 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc.
Site: Qubein Center
Score: High Point 91, Winthrop 76
Records: High Point (30-4) (15-1), Winthrop (23-11) (13-3)
Head Coach Flynn Clayman: "First of all, I gotta thank our fans for showing out two years in a row. We had a tournament in our own gym a couple of years ago, and we fell short. And we just brought all that energy to Johnson City, and I really thank them. It's been an unbelievable year. We are in the class of the league when it comes to our fans, and we're thankful for them… For our guys, just couldn't be more proud. They put in a ton of work. They've sacrificed for each other. A lot of them have taken lesser roles than they had at previous stops, all to try to win… We wanted to do something special, and this group is the winningest team in the history of the Big South. The first ever 30-win team so just couldn't be more proud of these guys."
Martin and
Owen Aquino got the Panthers out to an early 7-6 lead after Martin converted a tough basket inside the paint, and Aquino connected on a 3-pointer and bucket at the rim.
Freedom Hall quickly sounded like the Qubein Center after a Panthers 10-0 scoring run to give HPU its largest lead of the game, 22-13, with 9:48 remaining in the first half. Johnston and Fletcher led the drive, each knocking down a 3-pointer, and Martin put on a series of crafty moves in the open court before lobbing the ball up top to Anderson for the finish.
A pair of triples from Washington and an acrobatic left-handed finish at the rim from Martin started an 8-2 drive, extending HPU's lead back to nine points, 32-23, with 5:28 to play in the first half.
Conrad Martinez got involved in the action, recording a basket at the rim and the next possession finding Anderson under the rim for two points, pushing the Panthers' advantage to double-digits, 36-23, with 3:26 remaining until halftime.
HPU closed out the first half with an Anderson 3-pointer for the team's sixth triple of the half, giving the Panthers a 39-33 halftime lead. Anderson led the way in scoring for HPU with 12 points. Aquino, Fletcher, Martin and Washington each tallied at least five points as the Panthers shot 44.1% from the field and 50% from the 3-point line. Defensively, HPU held Winthrop to 31.4% shooting from the field, 21.1% shooting from beyond the arc and 50% shooting at the free throw line, while forcing eight turnovers.
After a 7-0 run from Winthrop to start the half, Aquino and Anderson provided a much-needed spark for the Panthers. Aquino recorded a basket, and on the next offensive possession, he used his incredible court vision to find a cutting Anderson for two points, regaining the lead for HPU, 47-43, with 16:24 left.
The Martin-Fletcher connection has been special the entire tournament, and it was working on Sunday as Martin soared the ball up top to a flying Fletcher, who jammed home the two-handed dunk.
Fletcher's dunk was only the start of HPU's incredible next two and a half minutes of basketball. The dunk was the start of an 11-0 scoring drive, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Johnston, and Martin showcasing his ball handling, resulting in a double-clutch layup. The run stretched the Panther lead to 14 points, 58-44, with 12:46 remaining.
"Tonight was my night, I feel like a little bit, scoring-wise, leading us in scoring, but my main thing is just getting our guys involved and playing together," said Martin.
The hot hand of Johnston continued. Martin found Johnston, who fired the long-range triple from near the logo for his third 3-pointer out of three attempts, pushing HPU's lead back to double-digits, 61-51, with 11 minutes left.
Martin and Fletcher knocked in the team's ninth and 10th 3-pointers of the game, the 18th time the Panthers have knocked in 10 triples in a game this season. The 3-pointers helped HPU take a 77-63 lead with 5:22 to play.
A block by
Owen Aquino allowed Cam'ron Fletcher to get out in transition and convert a and-one, three-point play on the other end of the court, as HPU jumped out to an 87-72 advantage with 1:13 remaining.
"I promised him [Fletcher] that if you're about the team, when it matters most, you're going to be the best player on the floor because he is the most talented player in this league if you're just talking talent, and tonight he showed that. He had 17 points and 19 rebounds," said Clayman. If you get down to the keys of the game, they would have killed us on the glass if Cam didn't step up and do what he did, we probably don't win this game."
The Panthers iced the game in the final 36 seconds by converting 4-of-4 free throws, sending HPU to the Big Dance with a 91-76 victory. HPU extended its winning streak to 13 games, which ties Navy for the second-longest active win streak in the country.
HPU shot 45.8% from the field, 45.5% from the 3-point line and 84.4% at the free throw line, and held Winthrop to 35.7% shooting from the field, 24.2% from beyond the arc and 58.1% at the free throw line. The Panthers outscored Winthrop in bench points, 30-20.
Up Next:
The Panthers receive an automatic bid in the 2026 NCAA tournament, and will await the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday, March 15, at 6 p.m. ET on CBS for their fate.
#GoHPU x #OnTheProwl
