CLINTON, S.C.-The Presbyterian College men's basketball team battled through a tough second half to tie the score at 53-53 at the end of regulation, but High Point outscored the Blue Hose 11 to seven in overtime to come away with the 64-60 win.
Khalid Mutakabbir (Suwanee, Ga. / Peachtree Ridge H.S.) led PC with 15 points, while Walt Allen (London, Ky. / South LaurelH.S.) contributed 14 points and 13 rebounds, for his first double-double of the season. Pierre Miller (Warner Robbins, Ga. / Warner Robbins H.S.) chipped in 13 points. Sharing the post spot, freshman Joshua Clyburn (Charlotte, N.C. / Victory Christian Center School) and Jay Reynolds (Maryville, Tenn. / Maryville H.S.) combined for eight points and eight rebounds.
Clyburn scored the first field goal of the game to give PC an early advantage, but High Point led for most of the first half. The Panthers were up by as many as nine points, 24-15, with five minutes left. A three pointer by Josh Johnson (Hendersonville, Tenn. / Hendersosnville H.S.) cut in the visitors lead, and a basket from Mutakabbir on the ensuing possession made the score 24-20 with 4:18 remaining. High Point kept their four point lead intact until the last two minutes of the half, when a pair of free throws by Mutakabbir brought PC within two points, 26-24, to end the half.
PC tied the score with the first basket of the second half, and after a brief Panther run, the Blue Hose again tied the game, 31-31, off of a layup by Jake Troyli (Largo, Fla. / Pinellas Park H.S.) at 15:15. The teams would trade leads for the remainder of the second half, with ten total ties held in the half. PC had a four point advantage with 1:29 left in the second half, but a Panther three pointer cut the advantage to only one. After Troyli hit one of two three throws with 22 seconds remaining to make the score 53-51 in favor of PC, High Point answered with a jumper to tie the score at 53-53 and send the game to overtime.
In the five minute overtime period PC took a brief lead off of a layup by Allen at the 4:06 mark, but a High Point basket gave the Panthers a lead they would hold onto for the rest of the game. Outscoring PC 11 to seven in overtime, High Point came away with the 64-60 victory.
High Point advances to 6-11 on the year and 3-5 in the Big South. The Panthers were led by Shay Shine's 27 points, while Du'Vaughn Maxwell chipped in 12 points.
The Blue Hose return to action on Saturday, Jan. 22 when they face Radford at home. Tip-off is schedule for 7 p.m at the Templeton Center.
