High Point continues winning ways, topples Upstate for 9th straight

Kimani Hamilton dominated Wednesday, going for 28 points and 15 rebounds as High Point extended win streak to nine with victory at USC Upstate. (Photo by Nicole Frechette/High Point University Athletics)

By Justin Mathis (@J_Math23)

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – One week after winning a thriller on its home court, USC Upstate aimed to achieve the same result Wednesday as it hosted High Point, the hottest team in the Big South Conference.

 

The two sides exchanged proverbial jabs and counterpunches throughout the contest, but one big scoring run proved to be the catalyst as the Panthers continued their winning ways and claimed a 78-67 victory over the Spartans. The win also set a new program record with nine consecutive wins as a Division I program and matches the Panthers’ best start in conference play at 6-0, which last happened in 2006-07.

 

An old-fashioned three-point play by Trae Broadnax opened the scoring and put Upstate in front just 48 seconds into the contest. Baskets by Abdoulaye Thiam, Kezza Giffa, and Kimani Hamilton quickly pushed High Point in front by a slim 6-3 margin just over a minute later.

 

The two sides saw two ties and a pair of lead changes over the next eight-plus minutes, as Hamilton knocked down a three for a Panther lead, only to see Floyd Rideau hit a step-back jumper to tie things at 11 apiece.

 

Later, Nick Alves hit a shot in the lane that sliced the deficit down to one, but High Point countered with a Juslin Bodo Bodo two-handed jam on the ensuing possession that extended it back to a 24-21 Panther lead. Giffa and Hamilton each made two free throws for a four-point advantage, but back-to-back layups by Ahmir Langlais and Broadnax knotted the game at 31-all with 3:34 left in the half.

 

On the next trip up the court, Giffa drained a step-back jumper of his own that sparked a 9-0 run to close out the opening frame for the Panthers. Thiam scored the final points of the half on a driving layup off an assist by Hamilton.

 

“The end of the first half was the game,” lamented Upstate head coach Dave Dickerson. “We were tied at 31 and then went down by ten points. During that stretch, we had a couple of ‘hand down, man down’ threes, but they had the looks and they made them. This is a make-or-miss league, and that run at the end of the half really hurt us.”

 

High Point carried that run and momentum into the second stanza courtesy of a Hamilton layup amid heavy traffic. Titas Sarigiunas buried a hook shot, followed by a Trae Benham triple and Hamilton runner to cap a 22-6 Panther run and create a 53-37 advantage with 13:06 left in regulation.

 

“Anytime you can separate, it makes things more comfortable as a coach,” said High Point head coach Alan Huss. “Those two runs at the end of the first half and start of the second played a huge part. The rest of the game was pretty even. I thought that our guys were really good from an effort standpoint. You will live with that as a coach anytime.” 

 

Five straight points by Broadnax, along with a two-handed Jordyn Surratt slam and a Miguel Ayesa three, quickly trimmed the deficit to 55-46 with 10:31 remaining. However, Hamilton countered by rattling off five points in a row and extended the visitors’ lead out to a baker’s dozen, at 59-46.

 

“(Giffa and Hamilton) make plays so routinely that it’s becoming the norm,” Huss exclaimed. “Those guys are really special, and I know they can equally make (more) plays themselves than others. They both did a nice job being really poised tonight because Upstate is a very physical, handsy defensive team.”

 

Upstate cut the deficit to 10 points or less on four separate occasions over the last 4:06 of regulation, with the latter occurring on an Alves three-point conversion with under a minute to play. The Spartans played most of the game without Justin Bailey (11.1 points per game), who was limited to 12 minutes and 41 seconds of game action due to being mired in foul trouble. 

 

“It affected us a lot,” Dickerson admitted when asked about Bailey’s limited game action. “We are the type of team this year where if our best players are not on the floor or playing well, that affects us. When he got those two early fouls and another in the second half on the first possession, it was a really tough pill for us to swallow. When he is playing well, we normally have a chance to win.” 

 

“Give credit to High Point. They are one of the most talented teams I have seen in the six years that I have been here. During my first three years, Winthrop and Radford were special. This team is even better than them. They have length, athleticism, and the game boiled down to we couldn’t get the basketball.”

 

Hamilton paved the way for High Point, pouring in a game and career-high 28 points on 7-for-11 shooting to go along with 15 rebounds, notching his fifth double-double of the season. Giffa added 23 points and five boards on 6-for-18 shooting for the Panthers. High Point outrebounded the Spartans by a 44-28 margin and scored 38 points in the paint. The Panthers made 24 of 61 tries from the floor.

 

Broadnax posted a team-high 18 points and seven rebounds for Upstate, followed by Alves and Langlais with 14 and 12 points, respectively. The Spartans recorded 23 bench points and tallied 32 points in the paint. Upstate knocked down 28 out of 60 shot attempts.

 

Both teams continue Big South play on the road this Saturday, as High Point (17-4, 6-0) visits Winthrop, while Upstate (6-13, 1-5) makes the short trip up to Gardner-Webb.