Nido & Mariana Qubein Center | Saturday, February 7 | 7:00 PM | Senior Night/Family Weekend

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📍 Setting the Stage

The standings say first place and the calendar says February. That means things are tightening down the stretch and games mean even more.

High Point stay home at 21–4 (9–1 Big South) with the league race in a dead heat with Winthrop. Panthers will look to keep pace at the top of the Big South.

Standing in the way: a Radford team that is better than its record, dangerous from the perimeter, and arriving emotionally sharpened after another last-second loss to those aforementioned Eagles.

There is also some history in the air.

• High Point has won eight straight vs. Radford
• Radford has not won in High Point since Feb. 8, 2020
• The all-time series sits at 29–30, meaning tonight’s game is the 60th meeting with a chance for HPU to even the ledger
• The Panthers have won 15 straight Big South regular-season home games

Add Senior Night, Family Weekend, alternate uniforms, and we should have a packed out Qubein Center. Despite being early February this game could look and feel like a game in March.

Radford would love nothing more than spoiling this night for the seniors and the HPU families and faithful. 

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⏰ First Meeting (January 23 — Dedmon Center)

High Point 93, Radford 83

A game that felt uncomfortable for longer than the final margin suggests:

• Halftime: Radford 48, High Point 42
• Panthers used a dominant second half (51–35) to take control
• Turnovers: HPU 18 forced, Radford 7

Standouts:

• Terry Anderson: Career-high 31 points, 11 rebounds
• Del Jones: 23 points
• Dennis Parker Jr.: 19 points

Radford led for large stretches, shot-making was volatile on both sides, and the Panthers needed a sustained second-half  run to secure the win.

HPU will want a more comfortable victory at home meanwhile Radford will want to avenge some tough recent losses. 

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🔄 What’s Changed

1. 🏎️ High Point’s Offense Is Still Elite But Becoming Pace Reliant

HPU remains one of the nation’s most efficient offenses and the highest-scoring team in the Big South, yet recent stretches have shown:

• Longer scoring droughts
• Heavier reliance on transition bursts and turnovers 
• Increased dependence on perimeter variance

Against teams with high-level shot creators and experienced guards that volatility can tighten games quickly.

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2. 💣 Radford’s Backcourt Is Capable of Exploding

Few teams in the league can match Radford’s guard shot-making:

• Dennis Parker Jr.: Conference scoring leader
• Del Jones: Dynamic creator who thrives in pace
• Lukas Walls: One of the league’s most efficient shooters

Radford does not need offensive balance.

They need two guards hot at the same time, and they can hang with anyone.

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3. 🪞 Emotional Mirror Game

Strangely, this rematch mirrors the first meeting:

• Last time: Radford entered after a heartbreaking last-second loss to Winthrop
• This time: Radford enters after a last-second tip-in loss to Winthrop

Twice these teams meet, and twice the Highlanders arrive angry.

That rarely produces passive basketball.

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♟️ Key Matchups

💎 Guard Pressure: Rob Martin & Conrad Martinez vs. Del Jones

Jones is one of the most difficult guards in the league to speed up without fouling.

If HPU forces him into decision-making mistakes → Panthers control tempo.

If Jones dictates pace → Radford’s offense opens everywhere.

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🤺 Shot-Making Duel: Terry Anderson vs. Dennis Parker Jr.

Two of the conference’s most dangerous scorers:

• Anderson: Interior dominance, foul pressure, momentum swings
• Parker Jr.: Deep-range detonations that erase runs instantly

Whichever star controls the game’s emotional swings controls the night.

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🧱 Interior Stability: Owen Aquino vs. Tyson Brown

Radford is not an elite offensive rebounding team, but Brown provides:

• Second-chance creation
• Rim pressure
• Physical screens that free shooters

If Aquino stays out of foul trouble, Radford’s half-court scoring becomes far more difficult.

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⁉️ Questions Hanging Over the Panthers

• Can High Point maintain the defensive focus and intensity of the last couple games?
• Will the Panthers create separation early, or allow another prolonged fight?
• Can HPU win without relying heavily on turnover runs?
• Does the energy tonight produce urgency or early tightness?
• After a string of poor shooting, HPU shot only 17 threes last time out, will that continue?
  • And can the team stay in front of elite Big South teams and offenses without those shots and extra math?

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🔮 Toothsayer Prediction

Radford is capable of making this uncomfortable. They have some of the best talent in the entire league, especially in the backcourt. Their guards will score, and their pace ensures the game never truly feels safe.

But the environment matters.

• Senior Night emotion
• Qubein Center dominance
• Offensive depth advantages
• Turnover discipline edge

If High Point plays even near its offensive norm and avoids extended defensive lapses, the cumulative pressure eventually wins out. 

Prediction:

High Point 88, Radford 82