Panthers fall short vs Liberty
High Point late game heroics came up short against home standing Liberty University. The Panthers shot another dismal 38 percent from the floor in the 55-51 loss.
Leading High Point (10-9, 2-3) was Arizona Reid with 25 points and eight rebounds. The other Panther in double digits was Mike Jefferson with 13 points and a season best eight rebounds. Liberty (11-9, 3-1) had three players in double figures leading was Alex McLean with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
HPU did not start off well opening the game with a season worst five minute scoring drought. Over that time, Liberty opened up a nine point lead. High Point went down 10 before going on a 13-3 run to end the first half.
Score knotted at half time with LU shooting 40 percent from the floor and HPU shooting 37 percent. Shooting was not the talk of the night.
The Flames built an eight-point lead before the Panthers went on a eight point scoring run to knot it again at 44. After a trade of three pointers brought the score to 47, Reid hit a lay-up to give the Panthers the lead.
High Point was back in a deficit after the flames grabbed a 51-49 lead. Reid provided late game excitement hitting two free throws to even the score.
After a missed shot, the push for a rebound lead to a High Point foul with Liberty making two free throws. The final play of the game was a lay-up to seal the deal for LU.
The Panthers had one bright spot on the day shooting a perfect 10 for 10 from the line. The Flames shot a respectable 69 percent. Both teams were the top two teams in free throws in the Big South Conference.
The Panthers return to action Monday night as they play Radford University at the Dedmon Center. Game time is set for 7 pm.
HPU vs Liberty and Radford
Take a look at the next to conference games! [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL-D3_iPLFE]
Campus Chronicle Column
The follow appeared in the Jan. 25, 2007 Campus Chronicle:
Bryan A. Rothamel
Staff Writer
It is intriguing that we are trying to make the best university possible without the sport that is most associated with college life. We are in the midst of a $225 million transformation to improve facilities, academics and student life. All too often I hear the one thing we need to improve student life is a football program.
I know if I go into the caf and ask any student about football, 90 percent of you probably would not mind a football team and would be willing to be a fan of one. But are you really ready for that?
I think High Point University does NOT need a football team because it will be financially strapping. Most students support adding a football team but would not be willing to raise student fees $100 or more. You might think that sporting events are “free” but you are paying for them through student fees.
Winthrop University has published research about adding a football team to its athletic program. WU estimates $1.68 million in start-up costs. That includes minimal facilities upgrade, uniforms and equipment, band, 30 scholarships, coaches and support personnel. That first year is deceiving, though.
The way Title IX works is a college needs be equal in both men’s and women’s sports. Football adds 50+ male athletes, and no female sport can accommodate 50+ women. Some colleges resort to adding multiple female sports. That adds multiple facilities and more expenses. Suddenly $1.68 million can easily double.
WU estimates that it costs $2.4 million annually to operate a full football program. That includes 53 scholarships (at $16,000 a piece, while our tuition and fees are almost double), band, coaches and support staff. WU also estimates a Big South school will make $500,000 in potential home and away game revenues. WU calculates it will operate at a net loss of $1.9 million each year. That is a lot of revenue that needs to be produced through other avenues.
Football is costly! Winthrop also projects it will cost $16.6 million to build an 8,000 seat stadium and football field house. Our soccer stadium is too small at 1,100 seats. The football stadium at the High Point Athletic Center holds 10,000 needs renovation to be to standards.
Are we really ready for this burden? Let’s focus on our current sports before we beg the administration to add another sport. Make the current 16 varsity sports the “high point” of the Big South!
We do not need football to have the same atmosphere. How great was it beating Winthrop? It was amazing. Bring that atmosphere to countless home athletic events instead of maybe six home football games. I’m not trying to crush your hopes and dreams; I’m just trying to raise the bar.
Men's Basketball beats Charleston Southern
High Point University got back to winning behind a pair of record setting performances from seniors Mike Jefferson and Arizona Reid.
High Point (9-8, 2-2) knocked off visiting Charleston Southern (7-12, 1-3) Monday night 73-47 at the Millis Center. Reid scored 24 points and pulled down a season best 16 rebounds. The double-double was his 13th of the season and 39 of his career. Jefferson tallied his fourth double-double of the year with 13 points and 10 assists.
Reid’s 11 rebound put him second all time in Big South history. He is short of the top spot by 89 rebounds. Reid’s rebound total is currently 865. Jefferson made history minutes later becoming High Point’s all time career assist leader beating HPU standout and friend Landon Quick. Jefferson is at 378 assists just shy of being the first Panther to amass 400 assists.
The Panthers found their offensive stroke that had been lacking the past two games. The team shot 50.8 percent from the floor and went 9 for 10 from the line.
High Point only trailed only once within the first minute of the game. Once the Panthers gained the lead they never looked back. They were up 10 once but two late free throws for the Buccaneers cut the lead to 35-27 at the break.
Following the break HPU used a 15-2 run including 10 from Reid. The final ten minutes the Panthers never let the lead get less than 20 points.
HPU finally found the shooting touch and look to polish their game even more Thursday night against Longwood University. Game time set for 7 pm in the Millis Center.
High Point 1-2 in conference play
High Point started off strong against Winthrop but dropped two straight to UNCA and CCU. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg-Gu5CmzjU]
HPU drops second straight
High Point University fell to Costal Carolina 66-61 in front of the second straight sell out crowd in the Millis Center.
Leading the Panthers (8-8, 1-2) was Arizona Reid 25 points and 12 rebounds for his 12 double-double of the year and 40 in his career. His eighth rebound moved him to third all time in Big South Conference history. Leading the Chanticleers (9-7, 2-1) was Jack Leasure with 33 points and eight three pointers.
The loss snapped a 10 game win streak for HPU who has won 25 of their last 27 in the MACC. The road win game CCU its first road tilt of the year standing a 1-6 away from home now.
The first half was rather slow with both teams trying to find their shot. Leasure was on fire the first half scoring 14 points including four treys.
The second half began with a 24-11 run for CCU to stretch their lead 53-33. HPU began to chip away the lead with a 14-0 run to make the score 53-47 in three minutes to play. Costal stretched it back to 12 points with 3:19 left to play.
High Point scored 10 straight points thanks to David Campbell and Eugene Harris hitting back to back treys, followed by a layup by Reid. That put the deficit to two with under a minute to play.
With 0:24 left, Tim Burns missed a go ahead three and the Chants sealed the deal with making foul shots down the stretch.
Campbell finished with a career high 13 points including three of the seven threes the Panthers made. Harris finished with 11 points and 30 percent shooting from deep.
Monday night the Panthers look to snapped its two game losing streak as Charleston Southern comes to the Millis Center. Game time set for 7 pm.
High Point Beats Winthrop!!!
High Point beat Winthrop for the second time in 21 attempts!!!!
HPU vs. WU
This is the game every 6 man should have circled in the beginning of the year. This is the best chance for HPU to launch itself into the conference play.
Winthrop has been pesky over the years. HPU has only won once in 20 attempts and that one time came at Millis Athletic and Convocation Center five years ago. Winthrop has shown up big in some games, winning two against ACC opponents this year. Both games were away from the Winthrop Coliseum.
In order for HPU to take its second victory, the Panthers need to create off balanced shots. WU has done worse when shooting percentage has been down. Winthrop shot below 40% in three losses this year. In losses they are averaging a 42% field goal average. In wins they average a 45%.
Another key is to out rebound the Eagles. In two games were they averaged above 44% shooting average, they were out rebounded. Ole Miss beat them despite WU making 51% of their shots.
High Point also has to force turnovers and stop from turning the ball over themselves. HPU has one win when losing the turn over battle
