March 8, 2024
The day has finally arrived. HPU men’s basketball is taking on the Radford Highlanders at noon on March 8, 2024. After much anticipation, fans are ecstatic for this matchup, with many trying to leave classes early or begging for them to be canceled.
HPU is the No. 1 seed with many thinking that they can make it all the way to punch a ticket to the NCAA tournament. They are led by a new addition to the team, Duke Miles, who averaged 17.8 points per game, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals this season. Miles was declared Newcomer of the Year for the Big South Conference. Freshman Juslin Bodo Bodo has also made a huge impact this season, winning Big South Freshman of the Year and Big South Defensive Player of the Year. Bodo Bodo averaged 9.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks this season.
This is the Highlanders second game played in the tournament after they beat USC Upstate 67-60, Wednesday night. Justin Archer dominated in that game, scoring a game-high 21 points to go along with 14 rebounds and four assists.
Radford struggled to shoot the ball against USC Upstate however, shooting a poor 2-for-16 from the 3-point line and a field goal percentage of only 32.8 percent.
In the most recent matchup with Radford, HPU shot an exceptional 52.1 percent from the court overall and 39.4 percent from the 3-point line. Kimani Hamilton led the Panthers in scoring with 34 points while Pavlo Dziuba added 13 rebounds. Duke Miles also contributed, leading the team with five assists. The Panthers out rebounded the Highlanders 50-27, demonstrating HPU’s power inside and around the glass. If Radford wants to stay competitive in this game it will have to take and convert more 3-pointers, especially since the Panthers average a Big South conference best 8.5 made 3-pointers per contest in the regular season. They will also have to really focus on locking down on key rebounders for HPU and not get out rebounded as much. HPU has to take care of the ball, especially after Radford forced eight turnovers in their most recent matchup against one another. The Panthers have to keep the energy up and take advantage of the home crowd.
This will be an exciting game for both sides, and it will be a great experience to watch these two teams play in the beautiful Qubein Center packed with excited fans. Come cheer on your teams and enjoy this special experience! Game starts at noon… be there!