Charleston Southern University hosted the High Point Panthers, last season’s Big South champions, in a closely contested men’s basketball game on Saturday. The Buccaneers lost 84–82 in overtime, marking their narrowest defeat to High Point since 2019.
The Buccaneers started strong, taking a five-point lead early in the first half. High Point responded with consistent scoring and managed to close the gap. A key moment came when CSU senior Reis Jones blocked a shot and then scored a layup plus a foul, briefly putting Charleston Southern ahead.
At halftime, Charleston Southern trailed by one point. The first half saw frequent fouls, with 28 called overall—17 against the Buccaneers.
Charleston Southern gained momentum at the start of the second half. Freshman Jacob Taylor drew an offensive foul, and Luke Williams followed up with a turnaround jump shot that extended CSU’s lead to ten points.
High Point tied the game at 70–70 late in regulation after a three-pointer from A’lahn Sumler. Two baskets from Owen Aquino put High Point ahead by four with just over half a minute left. Luke Williams responded for CSU with a layup and then hit another jumper with two seconds remaining to tie it at 76–76, sending the game into overtime.
In overtime, High Point made several free throws and key shots to secure an 84–82 win.
After the game, several statistics stood out: High Point attempted 40 free throws compared to Charleston Southern’s 15—the largest such disparity for CSU this season. Four Buccaneers scored in double figures: A’lahn Sumler (19), Luke Williams (16), Jesse Hafemeiser (15), and Reis Jones (13). Jones also recorded a double-double with 14 rebounds—matching his career high—and Hafemeister made four of eight attempts from three-point range.
Charleston Southern will remain at home next week for one scheduled contest against USC Upstate Spartans on Wednesday, January 14th at 7:00 PM. The game will be available on ESPN+.
Fans can watch Coach Nimley discuss upcoming games and provide recaps on the “2025-2026 Nimley Coaches Show” via CSUsports.com or social media platforms X/Twitter and YouTube. For updates about CSU Men’s Basketball, follow @csu_mbball on Instagram or X/Twitter.
