Men's basketball defeats Winthrop for season sweep
Bryan Rothamel
Issue date: 2/13/09 Section: Men's Basketball
High Point University won a home men's basketball game on a night where HPU honored the coach with the most wins in program history.
HPU defeated Winthrop University for the second time this season 63-58 in front of a raucous 1,449 in the Millis Center. The win marks the first time HPU has swept WU in program history.
"We are humbled to get any win. I'm glad to get any win and hopefully we can spring board from this," head coach Bart Lundy said.
Leading the way for the Panthers (7-17, 3-11) was freshman guard Nick Barbour with 31 points on 50 percent shooting from the floor. Freshman guard Jacob Iati played a career high 31 minutes finishing with six points, four assists and five rebounds. Four other HPU players were tied with six points apiece.
Winthrop (6-18, 5-9) relinquished the lead 2:18 into the game and never held it again. HPU stretched its lead to as many as 16 points with a Barbour fast break lay-up with 15:42 left in the game.
WU slowly chipped into the deficit and brought it down to four points on a three-point play from Cameron Stanley to cap a 10-0 run for the Eagles with just under three minutes left. Barbour made two free throws and Iati chipped in one of his own to finish the game for the Panthers.
Following his second consecutive 30+ point scoring performance, Barbour said, "It was nice to know we can win the games if we can just do it."
Barbour and his teammates have had many close games this year. HPU has gone 3-7 in games decided by eight or less points.
"I'm proud of those guys. The plays we haven't been making we made down the stretch especially in the last 1:20 in this game," Lundy said.
Iati saw more time on the court because of foul trouble for freshman guard David Singleton who played 16 minutes compared to Singleton's usual 28 minutes per game average.
"I've been doing [late game situations] all day in practice. I play against one of the best point guards in the conference in David Singleton [in practice]. He prepares me for stuff for this," Iati said following the game.
HPU defeated Winthrop University for the second time this season 63-58 in front of a raucous 1,449 in the Millis Center. The win marks the first time HPU has swept WU in program history.
"We are humbled to get any win. I'm glad to get any win and hopefully we can spring board from this," head coach Bart Lundy said.
Leading the way for the Panthers (7-17, 3-11) was freshman guard Nick Barbour with 31 points on 50 percent shooting from the floor. Freshman guard Jacob Iati played a career high 31 minutes finishing with six points, four assists and five rebounds. Four other HPU players were tied with six points apiece.
Winthrop (6-18, 5-9) relinquished the lead 2:18 into the game and never held it again. HPU stretched its lead to as many as 16 points with a Barbour fast break lay-up with 15:42 left in the game.
WU slowly chipped into the deficit and brought it down to four points on a three-point play from Cameron Stanley to cap a 10-0 run for the Eagles with just under three minutes left. Barbour made two free throws and Iati chipped in one of his own to finish the game for the Panthers.
Following his second consecutive 30+ point scoring performance, Barbour said, "It was nice to know we can win the games if we can just do it."
Barbour and his teammates have had many close games this year. HPU has gone 3-7 in games decided by eight or less points.
"I'm proud of those guys. The plays we haven't been making we made down the stretch especially in the last 1:20 in this game," Lundy said.
Iati saw more time on the court because of foul trouble for freshman guard David Singleton who played 16 minutes compared to Singleton's usual 28 minutes per game average.
"I've been doing [late game situations] all day in practice. I play against one of the best point guards in the conference in David Singleton [in practice]. He prepares me for stuff for this," Iati said following the game.
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