Rock Hill, S.C. – Cory Hightower scored a game-high 25 points to lead Winthrop to an 84-78 victory over High Point, Saturday afternoon at the Winthrop Coliseum.
WINTHROP (15-16, 10-8 Big South)
HIGH POINT (14-15, 6-11 Big South)
- Zach Austin (17 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks, 1 steal)
- Abdoulay Thiam (14 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist)
- Jaden House (12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist)
FIRST HALF
- The first 6-7 minutes had the teams trading baskets with High Point holding the biggest lead at 16-12 with 13:26 on the clock after a Jaden House pull up three
- The Eagles responded with an 11-0 run to lead 23-16 with 10:38 left in the half
- The run started with Sin'Cere McMahon knocking down a jumper and then Kelton Talford completed a three-point play to take the lead 17-16
- Xavier McKelvy capped off the run as he scored off the drive
- The Panthers fought their way back to tie the game at 26-26 with 8:02 remaining
- High Point took a brief one-point lead at 28-27 with just a little over six minutes left but a Cory Hightower three put the Eagles back on top
- It was a one point game with 2:19 left as the Eagles scored the final four points of the half including a three from McMahon to lead 39-34 at the break
SECOND HALF
- Right out of the half the Eagles and Panthers were back at it trading baskets over the first two and a half minutes
- It was a two point game at the 17:35 mark after a three from Abdoulaye Thiam
- Toneari Lane answered with a three followed by a Hightower three as the Eagles quickly pushed the lead to eight points with just under 17 minutes left
- High Point answered with a 10-2 run to tie the game at 55-55 at the 14:46 mark
- The game remained close until the Eagles used a 7-0 spurt capped off by a three from Lane
- The game came down to the final minute of play as Emmanuel Izunabor made two free throws at the 1:05 mark to cut the Winthrop lead to 79-78
- Hightower drew a foul on the ensuing possession and knocked down both free throws for an 81-78 lead
- The Eagles forced a turnover and McMahon was fouled after the inbound as he made both of his free throws to lead 83-78 and held on for the wing
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Winthrop finished the game shooting 47 percent from the floor while holding High Point to 41 percent
- The Eagles connected on 11 threes in the game (11-for-26) and High Point made 10 (10-for-33)
- The teams combined for 48 free throws as the Eagles were 19-for-26 and Panthers finished 12-for-22
- Panthers outrebounded the Eagles 44-35 and had 17 offensive rebounds that led to 18 points
- Hightower led all scorers with 25 points as he was 7-of-12 from the field, 3-for-6 behind the arc and 8-for-10 at the free throw line
- For the game there were 10 lead changes and the game was tied seven times
NOTABLES
- The 25 points by Hightower were the most he's scored as an Eagle and just one shy of his career-high
- The Eagles have now won 10 or more league games in 10 straight seasons
- The win puts the Eagles on a season-best winning streak of four games
- It also puts the Eagles in a three-way tie for fourth place with Gardner-Webb and USC Upstate in the final standings of the regular season
STAY CONNECTED
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