EDITOR’S NOTE: No. 8 of the top 10 stories of 2025.
INSIDE: A look at the top sports stories of the year, A6.
HIGH POINT — High Point University this year completed a rare achievement by winning Big South Conference tournament championships in both men’s and women’s basketball.
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The Panthers won their first men’s tournament title and second women’s tournament title — sending both teams to the NCAA Tournament. It was only the fifth time in the Big South’s four decades that’s happened.
Fans filled the Qubein Center as the teams were announced on national TV.
The men went 29-6 overall — matching the program record for wins in a season — and, as a No. 13 seed, faced fourth-seeded Purdue in the first round. The NCAA Tournament appearance capped a huge season for High Point, which overcame the disappointment of an early exit the previous year.
“I don’t know that there’s anything better than the NCAA Tournament,” Panthers coach Alan Huss said at the time. “Being a part of it, it’s the greatest sporting event on planet Earth.
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“And they get to be a part of it. Most of these guys haven’t had that opportunity yet. I’m so thrilled for them to be able to share that experience with their teammates, with their brothers.”
The Panthers went 14-2 in Big South play, winning the regular season for the second year in a row and the sixth time overall. As the top seed in Johnson City, Tennessee, they beat eighth-seeded Gardner-Webb handily in the quarterfinals and edged fourth-seeded Radford by three points in the semifinals.
High Point, led by Huss in his second year, rallied hard in the second half of the final against third-seeded Winthrop to erase a 15-point deficit and won 81-69. Tournament MVP Bobby Pettiford scored 17 points, while Kimani Hamilton and Kezza Giffa also earned spots on the all-tournament team.
The university’s student announcers and Trae Benham’s mean-mugging went viral on social media to highlight the excitement surrounding the team.
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“For our people who have shown up and supported us before we did the special things, it’s awesome for them,” Huss said. “It’s something this group will never forget, something our fans will never forget. I’m just ecstatic for all involved.”
Meanwhile, the women went 21-12 overall — their second 20-win season in a row and third under head coach Chelsea Banbury. The Panthers, making their second NCAA Tournament in five years, earned a matchup against William & Mary in a First Four game to finish another strong season.
“This is March — we live for these moments,” Banbury said at the time.
High Point went 13-3 in the conference, capturing the regular season for the second year in a row and the fifth time overall. The top-seeded Panthers cruised past UNC Asheville in the quarterfinals and defeated fifth-seeded Winthrop in the semifinals, despite losing one of their top players to an injury.
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They trailed by as much as six in the final minutes before rallying to beat second-seeded Longwood 59-53 in the tournament final. Nevaeh Zavala had 16 points and 10 rebounds while tournament MVP Jaleesa Lawrence had 12 points and seven rebounds. Zavala and Aaliyah Collins were named all-tournament.
“To come together as a group and fight from behind — we got down and weren’t out,” Banbury said after the game. “I can’t say enough how proud I am of this group and what we were able to accomplish this year.”
The list so far TOP 10 STORIES OF 2025 No. 10. Toyota factory begins production No. 9. Heavy rains flood area No. 8. HPU men’s basketball makes NCAA tournament No. 7. Government shutdown impacts local food banks {related_content_uuid}5dc3d7f5-e2e6-426a-9022-7df353e1b2b3{/related_content_uuid}
