The High Point University men’s basketball team faced off against the Appalachian State Mountaineers on Sunday at Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Shuford Memorial Arena. After a hard-fought 40 minutes, the game went into overtime, but High Point fell short, losing 86-78.
Five players from High Point scored in double figures. Leading the team was Terry Anderson with 17 points, followed by Rob Martin with 12, and Cam’Ron Fletcher, Conrad Martinez, and Braden Hausen each contributing 10.
The game started slowly for the Panthers. After Fletcher’s initial basket, the offense struggled, trailing 16-4 at one point. Then, as Scotty Washington and Hausen hit back-to-back three-pointers, they began to chip away at the deficit, closing the gap to 18-16.
High Point briefly took control when Martin drove to the basket for a layup, edging ahead 27-26. Hausen then added a three-pointer, giving them their largest lead of the half at 30-26. However, the Mountaineers fought back, leading 34-33 at halftime.
The second half saw the Panthers fall behind again, with App State taking a 10-point lead at 50-40. The spark came from Fletcher, who energized the crowd with a powerful dunk. The momentum shifted, and High Point clawed back, eventually grabbing the lead at 52-50 after Fletcher scored another layup.
With less than a minute to go, they led 70-64. But App State rallied, tying it up at 71-71 just as time expired, sending the game into overtime.
In the extra period, High Point struggled to regain their rhythm. Despite Anderson hitting another three-pointer to narrow the score to 81-78, they couldn’t make the shots needed to close the game. The Mountaineers secured the victory 86-78.
Recently, college basketball has seen a surge in competitiveness, with teams from smaller conferences often surprising fans. Expert analysis from sports analysts suggests that this season’s performances are influenced by the ever-improving talent pools in college athletics.
Up next, High Point will host Division III team Mary Baldwin on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. It will be a chance for the Panthers to bounce back after this intense matchup.
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