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CHARLOTTE -- High Point probably didn't imagine it would have to sweat as much as it did after a first half that featured a 20-1 run.
The seventh-seeded Panthers battled through a back-and-forth second half, finally seizing control of the contest in overtime and putting away tenth-seeded Hampton, 84-77, in first-round action in the Big South tournament.
High Point placed five scorers in double figures. Zach Austin tallied a double-double, scoring 24 points and grabbing 16 boards. Jaden House added 19, with John Michael Wright and Alex Holt tallying 13 each. Bryant Randleman added 10.
Deuce Dean led all scorers with 28 for Hampton, while setting records for numbers of free throws attempted (25) and made (18). Najee Garvin also booked a double-double, scoring 15 points and nabbing 13 caroms. Marquis Godwin finished with 10 in Hampton's final Big South contest before departing for the CAA.
High Point advances to Friday's quarterfinal, where it will play second-seeded Winthrop. Tip time for that game is slated for 6:00 (Eastern).
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF
High Point seized an early 4-0 lead on the strength of a Manny Izunabor free throw and an Austin triple (18:16)
Back-to-back buckets from Luc Therrien leveled the contest (17:27)
After High Point tied it at 7, Hampton went on a 10-0 run -- six of those on free throws -- to seize a 17-7 advantage (10:48)
Following Dean's bucket at the 6:12 mark -- which would be Hampton's last of the period -- the Panthers unfurled a 20-1 run that turned an eight-point Hampton lead into a nine-point High Point advantage
Najee Garvin hit a free throw at the 1:46 mark to break the extended scoring drought for the Pirates
Bryant Randleman hit a basket with :57 remaining to give High Point the 39-28 advantage it took to the interval
HALFTIME STATS
High Point: 37.1% FG (13-35), 36.4% 3FG (4-11), 64.3% FT (9-14), 1.147 PPP (34 trips), 52.9% scoring, 5.9% turnovers
Hampton: 40.9% FG (9-22), 0% 3FG (0-6, 66.7% FT (10-15), .824 PPP (34 trips), 41.2% scoring, 26.5% turnovers
SECOND HALF
Hampton scored the first four points of the second half to cut the High Point lead to seven
Two Jaden House free throws again stretched the lead to nine (15:38)
Hampton outscored High Point 15-8 over a six-minute span to clip the Panther lead to a bucket at 53-51 (9:28)
High Point's lead increased to as many as four on multiple occasions before Hampton seized back the advantage at 64-63 on two Deuce Dean free throws (4:17)
Neither side led by more than three for the remainder of regulation
Dean knocked down two free throws to tie the game at 71 with :13 remaining
Wright had a look to win the game for High Point, but it would not fall
OVERTIME
Izunabor made the first bucket of extra time, giving High Point a lead it would not relinquish (4:15)
Two Garvin free throws cut the lead to one (3:32)
Austin made back-to-back triples, keying a 9-1 High Point run that put away the game
FINAL STATS
High Point: 38% FG (27-71), 34.8% 3FG (8-23), 56.4% FT (22-39), 1.063 PPP (79 trips), 53.6% scoring, 21.7% turnovers
Hampton: 40.4% FG (23-57), 13.3% 3FG (2-15), 72.5% FT (29-40), .987 PPP (78 trips), 48.7% scoring, 17.9% turnovers