Barbour and Shine to play final home game tonight
HPU Men’s Basketball Player, Shay Shine.
HPU Men's Basketball Player, Shay Shine.
By Nolan Stout
It’s one of those indescribable feelings. Trying to explain the feeling one gets when something you’ve worked at since you were just a kid is coming to a conclusion is almost impossible. For Nick Barbour and Shay Shine, their long and illustrious basketball careers at High Point University are coming to a close.
“I don’t know how to put it in words how happy I’ve been here the last four years,” said Barbour. “It seems like just yesterday I was walking in here as freshman.”
Shine is looking a little further, hoping to continue playing basketball, unwilling to just hang up his sneakers.
“It’s a little emotional, but I’m really excited to continue my career and see where I go after this,” says Shine.
These two have accomplished much in their careers at High Point University. Shine has been a crucial player for the team the last four years. He is in the top 10 all time at HPU in 3-point percentage, was featured on Sports Center twice, and will be participating in the “Dark Horse Dunker” competition.
Barbour has climbed to number three on the all-time scoring list, scored over 2,000 points, is the all-time three point leader with 296 made three-point shots, and is in the top ten all-time at HPU in 3-point percentage and free throws made.
As for the team, the Panthers have picked up their play as of late. After losing five straight games between Jan. 14 and 26, the team has won four of their last six to climb back up in the standings and have a fighting chance at sixth place.
HPU Men's Basketball Player, Nick Barbour.
Coach Cherry is putting emphasis on the necessity of his team to win their games, not rely solely on help from others.
“We’ve got to win our games,” says Cherry, “If we take care of things on our end and get some help from other teams we could end up getting that sixth seed.”
Barbour and Shine think the team is heading in the right direction with only one game left in the regular season: tonight.
“We’re playing really good basketball right now,” says Shine.
“We’re taking care of the little things that make us dangerous,” says Barbour, “I feel good going into the tournament. We’ve got a good chance to win.”
The Panthers are currently sitting in eighth place in the Big South with a 7-10 conference record. They are currently chasing VMI and Liberty, which are tied for sixth, each with a 7-9 conference record.
The last two games of the season for the Panthers are the EPSN Bracket Busters against Stephen F. Austin, which they lost 69-62, and the regular season will end tonight at home against Campbell, a must win for the Panthers.
Shine and Barbour will be playing their last game at the Millis Center tonight at 7 p.m. A beginning to the end of the dreams these two have been chasing since their young days.