Box Score

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FARMVILLE, Va. -- Devante Wallace scored a game-high 20 points to lead High Point University to an 85-59 Big South Conference North Division men's basketball victory at Longwood University on Saturday evening at Willett Hall in Farmville.  The visiting Panthers (14-13, 10-4 Big South) never trailed in the contest, leading 49-28 at halftime and by as many as 35 points in the second half, en route to the road win.  Senior captain Tristan Carey/Colonial Beach had 17 points and eight rebounds to lead the Lancers (8-21, 3-11 Big South).  Longwood will play on the road at fellow North Division opponent and nearby Liberty University on Tuesday night, February 25 at 7 p.m. in Lynchburg.
   
"For whatever reason, every couple of games or so, we have a performance like this and I don't what that reason is," said first-year Longwood head coach Jayson Gee.  "We have to find a way to fight out of it.  I feel good about where we're going, and I feel good about our ability to get them re-directed."
   
High Point took an early 15-5 lead at 14:58 after a three-point field goal by Wallace, the team's third in the early going, and five quick points from Lorenzo Cugini.  Longwood battled back and was within 22-15 at 10:24 after a layup by freshman Damarion Geter/Dayton, Ohio.  The Panthers, however, used a 19-8 run to lead 41-23 with 4:19 on the first-half clock, the run capped by another three-pointer by Wallace, who scored nine of the points with a third triple and an old-fashioned three-point play.  HPU led 49-28 at the intermission, as Wallace finished with 14 first-half points and Cugini had 12 points at the break.
   
High Point began the second half where it left off in the first, outscoring Longwood 13-4, to lead 62-32 at 16:10.  Wallace made two more three-pointers during the outburst, while John Brown added a pair of baskets and Anthony Lindauer had a three-pointer.  The Lancers managed to get within 64-39 at 13:48 on two free throws by freshman Isaac Belton/Salem but that was as close as it would get.  The Panthers took their largest lead of the contest at 84-49 with 5:10 remaining on a three-point play by Dejuan McGaughy.  The hosts reduced the final margin down the stretch behind six late points from Carey.
   
Carey led Longwood with his 17 points and eight rebounds.  He now totals 1,450 career points to rank 8th all-time, and ranks 2nd all-time with 224 career three-pointers.  Sophomore Karl Ziegler/Annandale finished with 11 points and six rebounds for the Lancers.  Sophomore captain Lucas Woodhouse/Greenlawn, New York had seven points and six assists.  He now totals 382 career assists to move up to 3rd all-time.  Longwood shot 41% (23-56) from the field, including 8% (1-12) on three-pointers and 75% (12-16) at the free throw line.
   
Wallace led High Point with his game-high 20 points, making 5-9 three-pointers.  Cugini had 14 points for the Panthers, while Brown finished with 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds.  HPU shot 54% (31-57) from the field, including 61% (17-28) in the first half, 55% (11-20) on three-pointers and 80% (12-15) at the line.  The Panthers had a 21-8 advantage in points off turnovers, and their bench outscored the Longwood bench, 27-13.
   
Longwood and High Point were meeting for the 23rd time in the sport since 1984-85, but only for the seventh time as Division I programs (1-6), and the Panthers now lead the overall series, 17-6.