By: Anthony Evangelista
For the first time in program history, the High Point Panthers are heading to the NCAA Tournament after defeating Winthrop 81-69 in the Big South Championship on Sunday afternoon in Johnson City, Tenn.
Trailing by as many as 15 points in the second half, High Point (29-5, 14-2 in-
conference) stormed back with an explosive run, fueled by Bobby Pettiford and the
Panthers’ bench, to overtake Winthrop (23-11, 11-5 in-conference) and secure their first Big South Tournament title.
Pettiford, who was named Big South Tournament MVP, led High Point with 17 points, three rebounds, and four assists, while Kezza Giffa added 16 points. The Panthers’ bench proved crucial, contributing 50 of the team’s 81 points.
“They’re just a group of guys that never really cares who gets it done,” said High Point athletic director Dan Hauser. “Our starters were on the bench, and they were our biggest cheerleaders because they love everybody. It’s a brotherhood and that’s why we pulled it out.”
High Point started strong, jumping out to a 9-2 lead in the opening minutes, but Winthrop responded with a 12-0 run, taking its first lead at 15-14. The Eagles controlled the remainder of the first half, extending their advantage to double digits behind Kelton Talford’s inside presence and Kasen Harrison’s playmaking.
Winthrop led 39-29 at halftime, shooting efficiently from the field while limiting High Point’s offensive rhythm. Talford paced the Eagles with 15 points and eight rebounds, while K.J. Doucet added 10 points and nine boards.
Winthrop maintained control early in the second half, pushing the lead back to 15 at 48-33. But that’s when High Point’s bench, led by Pettiford, Trae Benham, Terry Anderson, and Abdoulaye Thiam, turned the game around.
Pettiford kickstarted a 15-0 run with a three-pointer and a driving floater, while
Benham’s transition play energized the Panther-dominated crowd. By the 12-minute mark, High Point had trimmed the deficit to just one, 48-47.
Benham then buried a deep three to tie the game at 50, before converting an and-one layup to give High Point its first lead since early in the first half. The Panthers never looked back, shooting 9-for-12 from the field in the final nine minutes to pull away.
Thiam’s three-pointer with two minutes left extended High Point’s lead to eight, and
clutch free throws from Giffa and Thiam sealed the victory. Winthrop battled throughout, with Talford, Harrison and Doucet all reaching double figures. The Eagles, who were making their 19th Big South title game appearance, shot
42 percent from the field but struggled from three (7-for-27).
Despite the loss, Winthrop capped its season with 23 wins for the 11th time in program history, having won 10 of its last 12 games of the season with its only two losses coming to HPU.
High Point will now await its NCAA Tournament fate, with the Selection Show
scheduled for Sunday, March 16, at 6 p.m. ET on CBS.
