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ASU Squares Off with High Point Tonight Looking to Improve to 2-0 for Second Time in Three Seasons

By Paul T. Choate

Tab Hamilton and the Mountaineers seek a 2-0 start to the season when they welcome High Point to the Holmes Center tomorrow night. Photo by Dave Mayo and courtesy of Appalachian Sports Information

Nov. 13, 2012. That Appalachian State men’s basketball team will host the High Point University Panthers tonight at 7 p.m. in their second regular season game at the George M. Holmes Convocation Center in Boone. 

The Mountaineers (1-0) are hoping to to start the season 2-0 for the second time in the past three seasons under head coach Jason Capel. The team is coming off an 86-54 mauling of Montreat College (1-3) last Friday. With the win, ASU has won their last five home openers and 11-13 total when starting the season at the Holmes Center. 

The Panthers (1-0) are also coming off a win in their regular season opener, taking down UNC – Greensboro 81-73 last Friday behind freshman forward John Brown’s 28 point outburst. 

ASU will look to rely heavily on the hot shooting of sophomore guard Tab Hamilton, who went for 18 points in the contest against Montreat by connecting on 6 of 10 from beyond the three-point line. 

Going into tonight, ASU is 36-55 all time against the Panthers, but they pulled off an 82-81 victory when the teams last met on Feb. 19, 2011 in an ESPNU BracketBuster contest.

Though difficult to put much weight into stats after only one game, the two teams are shooting the ball relatively equally, with a .437 field goal percentage for the Mountaineers and a .441 field goal percentage for the Panthers. On paper, ASU leads HPU in points scored per game 86-81. 

The Mountaineers are 25-17 in home contests against High Point all-time and have won each of the last two games played in Boone. However, other than the Feb. 19, 2011 matchup, all other times the teams have met date to the 1970s and before, with the first game in the series being played in 1929.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Tickets are available at $10 for adults and $5 for children aged three to 12. ASU students get in free. Tickets are available at the Holmes Center box office or online at goasu.com

Up next, the Mountaineers will be on the road on Friday, Nov. 16, for a 7:45 p.m. contest at Campbell in the team’s first road game of the season.