CLINTON, S.C.  – The Presbyterian Blue Hose (9-11, Big South: 1-4) battled the league-leading High Point Panthers (15-4, Big South: 4-0) down to the wire before coming up short in an 86-83 loss in the Templeton Center on Wednesday evening.
 
Marquis Barnett led the Blue Hose with 25 points while grabbing six rebounds. Barnett was 7-for-10 from the field. Samage Teel scored 22 points. Trevon Reddish-Rhone scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
 
Presbyterian outrebounded High Point, who leads the Big South in rebounding, 36-24.   
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF – Presbyterian scored 11 of the first 15 points taking an 11-4 lead after a fastbreak layup from Barnett at the 16:27 mark. Reddish-Rhone scored four points and Barnett scored five points during PC's early scoring run. High Point scored nine of the next 11 points tying the score at 13 at the 13:13 mark. The two teams exchanged baskets for the next few minutes. With the game tied at 17 at the 10:30 mark, High Point scored 10 straight points taking a 27-17 lead with 7:57 left in the half. A three-point play from Barnett began a 7-0 scoring run by the Blue Hose. Crosby James capped off the scoring run with a fast break layup cutting High Point's lead to 27-24. High Point's Kezza Giffa, who scored a game-high 27 points, stopped the Blue Hose scoring run with a free throw. James connected on a three at the top of the key cutting High Point's lead to one point 28-27 with 3:26 left in the half. The Panthers outscored the Blue Hose. 9-4, over the rest of the half, taking a 37-31 halftime lead.
 
SECOND HALF – Fourteen seconds into the half, Presbyterian's Kaleb Scott scored the first two points of the half on a layup. High Point scored seven of the next nine points taking a 44-35 lead two and a half minutes into the half. Presbyterian responded on an 8-0 cutting High Point's lead to one after a fastbreak layup from Kobe Stewart at the 15:35 mark. Presbyterian would take a 47-46 lead after a baseline three from Stewart at the 12:41 mark. High Point regained the lead and Presbyterian would tie the score three more times over the next four minutes. With eight minutes on the clock, High Point's Giffa connected on a three giving the Panthers the lead for good, 57-54. Presbyterian would cut High Point's lead to one point a couple of times but the Blue Hose were never able to tie the score or regain the lead. High Point took an 80-70 lead with one minute on the clock, the Blue Hose outscored High Point 13-6 over the final minute.
 

NOTES

• Presbyterian scored 35 points off the bench.
• Barnett's 25 points marked his fourth 20-point scoring game of the season and the 16^th double-digit scoring game of the season.
• Teel recorded his first 20-point scoring game at Presbyterian with 22 points. Teel's 22 points was his 14^th double-figure scoring game of the season.
• Reddish-Rhone tallied his 34^th career double-figure scoring game with his 10 points.
• Presbyterian shot 55.6 percent (30-for-54) from the field which is the Blue Hose's second highest field goal percentage this season.

 
NEXT GAME
Presbyterian travels to Virginia to play Longwood this Saturday, January 20 at 3 p.m.