HIGH POINT, N.C. – Southern Utah took an early eight-point lead, held the advantage for more than 14 minutes and went toe-to-toe with one of the nation's top mid-major programs before High Point pulled away for an 88-59 win on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, at the Qubein Center.
The Thunderbirds (3-1) opened their first road trip of the season against a Panthers team that went 31-5 last season, beat Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament and reached the Round of 32. SUU led 22-14 midway through the first half and was ahead 28-27 with 3:21 left before the break.
Jaiden Feroah pulled down a season-high 10 rebounds to go with eight points, two blocks, two assists and a steal in 31 minutes. Cale Barclay and Anthony Breland scored 10 points apiece, Chase Degraffenried added eight points, his most as a Thunderbird, and Rashaad Davis tied his career high with six assists.
Storylines
Feroah Owns The Glass
Feroah's 10 rebounds were his most this season and gave him his eighth double-digit rebounding game as a Thunderbird. He also blocked two shots, one in each half, and assisted on two second-half baskets, including Degraffenried's 3-pointer at 6:02.
Davis Runs The Show Early
Davis had five assists in the first 12 minutes, all during SUU's push to its largest lead. He set up two Mikhail Protsenko layups, two Feroah layups and a Barclay layup, then added a steal. He finished with six assists, matching his career high from Bethesda on Saturday, in a career-high 24 minutes.
Barclay And Breland Lead The Scoring
Barclay went 4 of 9 from the field and added three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. Breland came off the bench to score 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting, with two 3-pointers and five rebounds, tying his high as a Thunderbird. His 18 minutes were also his most at SUU. Barclay assisted on both of Breland's 3-pointers early in the second half.
Degraffenried Delivers
Degraffenried made 2 of 3 3-pointers and both of his free throws for eight points, topping his previous high of seven as a Thunderbird. He played 16 minutes, also his most at SUU, and added a steal and an assist.
Outshooting The Panthers From Deep
SUU made 6 of 23 3-point attempts, twice as many 3-pointers as High Point, which went 3 of 25. In the first half, the Thunderbirds held the Panthers to 1 of 12 from beyond the arc.
Sanders Sets The Tone
Dylan Sanders had two steals in the game's first three minutes and hit a 3-pointer for an 8-4 lead. He finished with seven points, two steals and five rebounds, his most as a Thunderbird, in 27 minutes, also his most at SUU.
The Bench Chips In
Breland, Protsenko, Jordan Brown, Jalik Nicholls and Davis combined for 23 points off the bench. Protsenko and Jalik Nicholls each went 2 of 2 from the field, and Jalik Nicholls finished the night with a dunk with 15 seconds left. Brown scored four points, with a pull-up jumper and two free throws, and grabbed two rebounds in 10 minutes.
A Familiar Face On The Other Bench
High Point head coach Flynn Clayman spent six seasons on the SUU staff from 2017 to 2023, rising from special assistant to associate head coach. He was SUU's interim head coach for the 2023 CBI, where the Thunderbirds beat North Alabama and Rice. Thursday was the first meeting between the programs.
Game Flow
Trading Early Baskets
Barclay's hook shot off a Jajuan Nicholls feed tied the game at 2-2 in the opening minute. Jajuan Nicholls' layup gave SUU a 5-4 lead at 17:25, and Sanders, who already had two steals, hit a 3-pointer off a Juok Riak assist at 16:22 for an 8-4 lead.
Davis Sparks A 14-6 Push
After High Point tied it at 8-8, Davis found Protsenko for layups at 12:11 and 11:40 for a 12-8 lead. Davis then assisted on a Feroah layup, a Barclay layup and another Feroah layup. His steal at 8:43 led to a Barclay free throw for a 19-12 lead, and Feroah's 3-pointer off a Jordan Brown pass at 7:38 made it 22-14, SUU's largest lead.
Holding On Into The Final Minutes Of The Half
Breland's floater and a Degraffenried 3-pointer off a Breland assist put SUU up 27-21 at 5:21. Barclay's free throw made it 28-25 at 3:38, and the Thunderbirds still led 28-27 with 3:21 to go before High Point closed the half on an 11-3 run. Degraffenried's two free throws at 0:36 pulled SUU within 38-31 at halftime.
Breland Heats Up After The Break
Breland hit back-to-back 3-pointers, both off Barclay assists, at 16:18 and 15:29, and Barclay scored on a Davis assist at 14:59. Jordan Brown added a pull-up jumper and two free throws midway through the half.
A 9-2 Run
Down 67-44 with 9:35 left, SUU went on a 9-2 run. Breland grabbed an offensive rebound and scored on a driving layup, and Sanders scored on a layup. Degraffenried hit a 3-pointer off a Feroah assist at 6:02, then came up with a steal and fed Barclay for a layup at 5:47 to make it 69-53.
Finishing Strong
Sanders scored on a driving layup at 4:49, Jalik Nicholls scored on a Feroah assist at 3:00, and Jalik Nicholls closed the scoring with a dunk at 0:15.
By The Numbers
- 14:16: Time SUU spent in the lead, all in the first half.
- 8: SUU's largest lead, 22-14 at 7:38 of the first half.
- 14-6: SUU's run from an 8-8 tie to its 22-14 lead.
- 1 of 12: High Point's 3-point shooting in the first half.
- 6-3: SUU's edge in 3-pointers made.
- 10: Feroah's rebounds, a season high.
- 6: Davis' assists, tying his career high.
- 7: Steals by six different Thunderbirds.
- 23: Bench points.
- 15: Thunderbirds who played.
"I loved how we came out. We were sharp, we shared the ball and we played with a lot of confidence for the first 15 minutes against a team that won 31 games and two NCAA Tournament games a year ago. High Point is really good, and they made the plays down the stretch of the first half and early in the second. That's the level we want to play at. We'll learn from the film, and there's a lot to build on with Jaiden on the glass and the way our guys competed. We turn around and get to play Wake Forest on Saturday, and that's a great opportunity."
Up Next
The Thunderbirds stay in North Carolina for a Saturday, Nov. 14, matchup at Wake Forest. Tipoff in Winston-Salem is set for 2 p.m. MT.
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