The Big South went 2-3 overall in five non-conference contests this weekend. Though not every team was in action due to both COVID-related postponements or early-season scheduling quirks, there were plenty of notable performances among those in action. Here are the top performers from this weekend’s contests.
G-John-Michael Wright, High Point
Wright led the way once again for the Panthers, who picked up their first victory of the year, taking down North Florida 85-74. The sophomore has led High Point in scoring in each of its first three games, and is the current conference-wide leader at 24.0 points per game. On Saturday, Wright notched 23 points on an 8-for-18 night afternoon from the floor, 16 of which came in the second half as he proved crucial in closing out the win for High Point. The 6’1’’ guard added six rebounds and three assists, while only contributing one turnovers.
G-Dalvin White, USC Upstate
USC Upstate has struggled tremendously out of the gate, now sitting at 0-4 on the season. White was a bright spot for the Spartans, despite their narrow 72-69 loss to an undefeated Georgia Southern squad. He finished the evening with 11 points, five assists and two steals, handling the point for much of the game. Upstate led for several stretches during the second half, but a Kaden Archie three-point play in the game’s final second denied the Spartan’s upset bid. The junior is showing growth from past seasons, with new career highs in points (7.3.) and assists (4.8) per game through four games.
G-Tajion Jones, UNC Asheville
Asheville was most impressive on Saturday, earning a comfortable 77-65 win over South Carolina State. Jones led the Bulldogs in scoring in the team’s second straight game, as he has now dropped 24 points in back-to-back contests. He lit up the nets from three, finishing 6-for-10 from behind the arc, setting a new career high for made threes. He was effective on both sides of the ball, adding in two steals and one block. Very much in the running for the Big South scoring title, Jones is averaging 20.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for the 1-2 Bulldogs.
F-Lydell Elmore, High Point
After struggling with foul trouble in the Panthers’ first two contests of the season, Elmore exploded on Saturday with season highs in points (21), rebounds (6), blocks (2), and assists (1). Most notably, he was able to stay on the floor for 31 minutes while only picking up one foul, stabilizing the Panthers and leading them to a near wire-to-wire win. Disciplined on both ends of the floor, the South-Carolinan senior’s was ultra-efficient, finishing the day at 10-for-15 from the floor. Though he didn’t attempt a three-point attempt, Elmore stretched the defense with his size and athleticism, knocking down a couple of jumpers and showing of his tremendous scoring potential.
F-Evan Clayborne, UNC Asheville
In a career-high scoring performance, Clayborne contributed 15 points along with five rebounds and three blocks on Saturday against South Carolina State. Clayborne, who fouled out of the Bulldog’s overtime loss against 83-81 loss against Western Carolina last Saturday, rebounded to play a key role in Asheville’s first win of the season. Finishing the the afternoon nearly perfect from the floor, he connected on his first five field goal attempts and finished 7-for-8 on all shots, as well as 1-for-3 from the free-throw line. Clayborne brought his season averages to 11.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 2.0 BPG for the Bulldogs.
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