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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — Bobby Pettiford scored 17 points off the bench and High Point rallied from a 15-point second half deficit to defeat Winthrop 81-69 in the Big South Championship title game, giving the Panthers their first trip to the NCAA Tournament. Winthrop led by 10 points at halftime and 48-33 with 15 minutes remaining. Pettiford nailed a 3-pointer and followed it with a layup to start a 14-0 run that got High Point within 48-47. Three and a half minutes later, Trae Benham's three-point play broke a 52-all tie. The Panthers led the rest of the way although Winthrop was within 75-69 with a minute to go. However, the Eagles did not score again and the Panthers went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line to close out their first Big South Championship title.
