By Josh Noel (@Josh_DDH)
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — Despite an eight-day layoff, High Point showed no signs of rust in its opening round matchup of the Big South tournament.
A 12-0 run in the opening four minutes set the tone for an 81-59 HPU victory over Gardner-Webb.
“There’s always a lot of jitters when you had a game off like we had on Saturday,” HPU head coach Flynn Clayman said. “We were a little antsy around the rim. But overall, a good win. I give Gardner-Webb a ton of credit for fighting like they did.”
All five Panther starters finished in double figures. Scotty Washington tied for a game-high with 19 points, marking his best scoring output in the calendar year.
“When I'm active, when I'm giving 120 percent, I feel like I can let my shot fly,” said Washington. “Terry (Anderson) found me on a few drives. It goes hand-in-hand with what we do defensively too, so I’m thankful for that.”
First-team all-Big South honoree Terry Anderson recorded his fifth double-double of the season behind 13 points and 14 rebounds. Fellow first-team honoree and Newcomer of the Year Rob Martin tallied 16 points, while Braden Hausen contributed 14 points. Second team all-conference pick Owen Aquino nearly recorded a double-double of his own, on 10 points and nine rebounds.
“With our depth and togetherness, any one of these guys on any night can carry us,” said Clayman. “That’s what makes us tough to gameplan against.”
Jacob Hudson tied Washington’s scoring output with 19 points for Gardner-Webb and closed his season scoring double figures in seven of eight games. Spence Sims added 12 points and Jacob Hogarth finished a point shy of a double-double (9 points, 11 rebounds).
Gardner-Webb head coach Jeremy Luther shared his gratitude for the effort his team gave not just in the game, but all season.
“I loved our grit and the way our kids battled,” said Luther. “I can’t speak more highly about these guys. It’s been one of the most rewarding years of my career because these are great kids who show up, practice, and compete every day.”
The Panthers wasted no time to begin the game, making six of their first eight baskets, including 3-for-4 from 3-point range.
“Our goal was to not just settle early, just mostly because of their interior defense,” said Clayman. “We knew they would zone a lot. I thought we got a little better at that (in the) second half, but our message was consistent in getting paint touches.”
The HPU lead ballooned to 25-10 before Aquino appeared to tweak his right hamstring. Gardner-Webb took advantage with a 7-0 spurt, and got within 10 points at 27-17, thanks to nine early points from Hogarth.
Just as quick as the Runnin’ Bulldogs got within striking distance, Hogarth picked up his third personal foul. The Panthers responded with an extended 17-3 run to take a 42-20 lead. GWU cut back into the deficit with a mini 7-1 run and entered the locker room down 43-27.
Both teams emerged from the break with revitalized energy and shot 40 percent or better for the first eight minutes of the second half. HPU once again extended its lead to 20 on an Aquino dunk before a prolonged cold stretch of 6:16 without a made field goal. In that time, Gardner-Webb clawed back to within 12 points, at 64-52, with 7:46 to play in the second half.
Another Aquino dunk ended the shooting drought and sparked a 9-0 run on four straight field goal makes. The Panthers then pushed their lead back to 73-52 and put the game out of reach for good.
Though HPU emerged victorious, it didn’t emerge completely unscathed. Aquino re-injured his hamstring with approximately six minutes to play in the second half and didn’t return to the game. Clayman did not have an update readily available on the forward’s status for tomorrow’s semifinal matchup.
“I’ll talk to the doctors,” said Clayman. “(Owen) is very important to what we do in all aspects, offensively and defensively.”
Gardner-Webb finishes its season 4-29 overall and 2-16 in the Big South. Despite the various challenges of the season, Luther feels confident in his young team’s ability to grow in near and distant future.
“If we can keep these guys together, we can make big strides,” said Luther. “These guys have grown individually and as a team. We’re trying to mold and shape them for down the road and their eternal relationship with Christ.”
High Point advances to face the winner of UNC Asheville and Longwood on Saturday at noon. The Panthers will have the on-hand support of High Point’s student body, who brought more than 100 students to the quarterfinal matchup.
“That's love,” Anderson said. “Thank them for coming. Keep showing up, keep showing out.”
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