College Basketball Roundup: High Point beats UNCA for first Big South win

Charlotte, App State earn wins; Elon, UNCW lose

UNCW Basketball

ASHEVILLE — Denny Slay II scored 17 points off the bench, Caden Sanchez grabbed 14 rebounds and High Point held off UNC Asheville 68-66 on Thursday night for its first Big South Conference win of the season.

Trailing 35-28 at halftime, the Bulldogs tied it a 40 after a 12-2 run and closed to 66-63 on Coty Jude’s 3-pointer with three seconds left. High Point’s Jamal Wright made two free throws for a 68-63 lead before Lavar Batts Jr. hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

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Eric Coleman Jr. scored 15 points and Jamal Wright had 14 for High Point (4-13, 1-3), which outrebounded the Bulldogs 50-24 in ending its four-game losing streak. John-Michael Wright had 10 points.

Jude scored 16 points and Batts had 15 with seven rebounds and six assists for UNC Asheville (7-8, 1-3), which shot 46% and committed eight turnovers. LJ Thorpe scored 13 points and Tajion Jones had 12.

High Point faces Charleston Southern at home on Saturday. UNC Asheville plays Hampton at home on Saturday.

Bamba, Young help Charlotte edge Marshall

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Amidou Bamba and Jahmir Young totaled 16 points and six rebounds apiece and Charlotte held off Marshall 77-75 on Thursday night.

Bamba sank all six of his shots for the 49ers (10-5, 4-0 Conference USA), who made 54% from the floor (25 of 46). Jordan Shepherd pitched in with 14 points, five rebounds and four steals. Reserve Cooper Robb added 13 points and three steals.

Taevion Kinsey topped the Thundering Herd (8-10, 2-3) with a career-high 29 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Jarrod West added 18 points and five assists.

Marshall shot 43% overall (26 of 61) and missed 17 of 22 from 3-point range.

Trio sparks Drexel to romp over Elon

PHILADELPHIA — Camren Wynter tossed in 27 points and James Butler and Zach Walton posted double-doubles as Drexel rolled past Elon 63-41 on Thursday night.

Wynter buried 10 of 14 shots from the floor for the Dragons (11-8, 4-2 Colonial Athletic Association) and added five assists. Butler finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds, while Walton pitched in with 16 points and 11 boards. It was Butler’s 12th double-double of the season and the first of Walton’s career.

Hunter McIntosh had 12 points and eight rebounds to lead the Phoenix (5-14, 1-5). Marcus Sheffield II added 10 points.

Elon took a 21-20 lead into halftime, but Drexel outscored the Phoenix 43-20 after intermission.

Both teams’ benches accounted for just two points.

Delph sparks Appalachian St. past Arkansas State in OT

BOONE — Adrian Delph scored six of his 15 points in overtime as Appalachian State rallied to earn an 83-80 win over Arkansas State on Thursday night.

Delph, who was 6-for-6 from the line for the game, knocked down four straight in overtime, added a layup with :35 left and blocked a shot from Marquis Eaton with :11 left to help seal the win.

Justin Forrest hit a 3-pointer with :12 left in regulation to pull Appalachian State even and force overtime.

Forrest led the way for the Mountaineers (10-9, 4-4) with 20 points. Oshowen Williams chipped in 14 points and 10 rebounds and Hunter Seacat added 11 points and seven boards.

Melo Eggleston scored 17 points to lead Arkansas State (12-7, 4-4). Eaton and Jerry Johnson Jr. each added 13 points while Caleb Fields contributed 11 points and Malik Brevard had nine points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

UNCW drops first game under interim coach Burke

WILMINGTON — Isaac Kante scored 12 points including a layup with five seconds left to lift Hofstra past UNC Wilmington 63-61 on Thursday night.

The Seahawks were playing their first game under Rob Burke, who was named interim coach after the school fired C.B. McGrath on Monday. UNC Wilmington has now lost 12 straight.

Tareq Coburn scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half and added nine rebounds for Hofstra (14-5, 5-1 Colonial Athletic Conference), which earned its fifth straight road victory. Eli Pemberton added 14 points and Desure Buie had 12.

Mike Okauru had 17 points for the Seahawks (5-15, 0-7), and Shykeim Phillips added 12 points. Imajae Dodd had nine rebounds.

Jaylen Sims was held to five points despite entering the matchup as the Seahawks’ leading scorer at 14 points per game.

Neither team had more than a one-possession lead from the midway point of the second half. Okauru made a pair of free throws that tied the game 61-61 with 35.3 seconds left. Hofstra ran down the clock following a timeout before Buie assisted on Kante’s game winner.

Hofstra plays College of Charleston on the road on Saturday. UNC

Wilmington faces Northeastern at home on Saturday.