The High Point University men’s basketball team beat Charleston Southern 77-73 on the back of an exciting and explosive 17-2 comeback that kicked off in the last four minutes and 30 seconds of the game.
It was sophomore duo John Michael-Wright and Bryant Randleman who decided they would step up and carry the Panthers back into the game. Wright, who hit a much needed and-one three with 3:44 on the clock to cut CSU’s lead to eight, finished the night with 24 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
Bryant Randleman was the main spark Thursday night though, having a career night for himself. Randleman stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points. The Durham native had five assists, three steals and a mind driven on making this 17 point comeback happen. His record setting night included a new high of 66.6% from the floor.
Phlandrous Fleming Jr, Charleston Southern’s go-to guy, had a mere typical night, dropping 26 points and collecting 11 boards. Fleming, who has four double-doubles this season, averages 19.6 points per game and was the conference pre-season player of the year- couldn’t carry the load by himself this time in the Mills Center.
“We were trailing the majority of the game,” said Randleman, seeming both pumped and relieved. “At the last time-out, we decided to go all out the last 5 minutes and it worked for us.”
The bench and the cardboard fans did enough to help keep the Panthers pushing for this late comeback win, providing the much needed energy in an empty Millis Center. Randleman touched on this after the game, saying: “our bench does a great job to give us the energy we need to stay in these games and keep us going late.”
The Panthers improve to 6-7 in conference and 8-10 over all. This unforgettable conference season continues for the CSU Buccaneers, having now lost all of their 16 Big South games.
The Batmans:
Both High Point and Charleston Southern have a go-to guy, or their “Bat-Mans.” The man under the suit for the Buccaneers is senior Phlandrous Fleming Jr. Thursday however, he was out performed by the Panthers’ own superhero: John Michael-Wright. Both of these guys have impressive resumes and are the ones that drive their teams forward.
Philandrous Fleming Jr.:
Averages 19.6 points per game (third in Big South) and 6.7 rebounds per game
2020-21 Big South preseason Player of the Year
2019-20 Big South Defensive Player of the Year
2019-20 First-Team All-Conference
2017-18 Big South All-Freshman Team
Became just the second player in CSU program history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 steals and 50 blocks as a junior
John Michael-Wright:
Averages 20.4 points per game (second in Big South) and 4.8 rebounds per game
2019-20 Big South All-Freshman team
2019-20 Big South All-Conference honorable mention (as a freshman)
Has failed to score double digits only once this season (18 games, Eight points vs. E. Kentucky)
Was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches’ (NABC) player coalition before this season.
The Robins:
Every Bat-Man has their Robin. When the opponent at hand can be intimidating, their “Robins” are there to chip in. Wright is most often helped by grad transfer Lydell Elmore, who averages 11.1 points per game. The 6-foot-9 center’s superpower is his long arms, which help him collect an average of 6.2 rebounds per game. In the Millis Center on Thursday night, he scored 14 points and pulled in nine rebounds.
The first mate on the Buc’s ship this season has been Ja’Quavian Florence. The freshman from Atlanta averages 9.6 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game. Florence was only able to help his partner in crime Fleming Jr. with eight points and four rebounds Thursday evening.
Warning: Pirate Territory:
The Buccaneers laid siege on the Panthers’ jungle the last time the two teams squared off in the Millis Center. On January 18th, 2020 Charleston Southern beat High Point 79-60. The “Batman” on the Buccaneers' crew that evening was of course the notorious Phlandrous Fleming Jr., who had 31 points that night. The Panthers’ planned revenge on CSU’s waters fell short again less than four weeks later at the hands of Fleming again. This time, Fleming Jr. delivered the final blow disguised as a buzzer beater which lifted the Buccaneers over the Panthers 66-63.
Needed spark and dying ember:
This win came at a very much needed time for Tubby Smith and his men, who were a last minute 17-2 run from falling to 5-8 in conference. Luck, or whatever it was, helped HPU pick up the win Thursday night, which could be a much needed spark for the Panthers.
CSU, on the other hand, continues to fall hard in conference. The Buccaneers' have been burnt to a crisp this season, and the embers of their 2020-21 season are fading out. Charleston Southern are now winless in 13 conference games this season and their flame is nearly completely extinguished.
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