High Point completes dominant season, wins Big South championship

High Point outscored Winthrop 52-30 in the second half to run away with the championship game.

The difference in the game in the second half was the Panthers bench unit. The High Point bench players outscored its starters 50-31. The last several minutes of the game saw the bench unit playing in crunch time with the starters all rooting them on from the bench.

Bobby Pettiford led all scorers with 17 points for the Panthers. Pettiford took 17 shots from the field, five more than any of his teammates.

Point guard Kezza Giffa finished with 16 points on an efficient 6-for-12 shooting from the field. 

Abdoulaye Thiam was also in double figures off the bench with 12 points.

The Panthers will now head into the tournament having not lost a game since Jan. 16. They are a projected 13-seed and not a single No. 4 seed will want to match up with them in the first round.