HIGH POINT, N.C. -- Methodist's men's basketball team dropped a 99-63 decision to Division I High Point on Tuesday evening at the Mills Center.
 
The Monarchs (2-1) fell victim to pair of big runs by the Panthers in suffering their first loss of the season. High Point improved to 2-2 on the season.
 
Davion Ayabarreno led MU with 16 points. Troynell Reese added 15 points and Jackson Whitley nearly recorded a double-double with eight points and 11 rebounds.
 
An Ayabarreno triple, one of four on the game, gave the Monarchs a 17-16 lead with just under 12 minutes to play in the first half before the first of the two aforementioned runs by the Panthers. A pair of Austin White free throws kicked off a 15-2 burst for HPU that gave the home team a 31-19 lead following two Andre Fox free throws with 8:06 on the clock.
 
Reese answered with a jumper at 7:58 to make it 31-21, but HPU countered with a 13-4 burst capped by a three from Fox to extend to a 44-25 lead with 3:42 remaining in the first half.
 
In the second half, a dunk from Whitley keyed an 11-0 burst that cut HPU's lead to just seven points at 52-45 with 13:13 to play. From there, the used a 24-4 run to seize control of the contest and assume a 76-49 lead on a Fox layup with 7:54 remaining.
 
High Point shot 53.0 percent (35-66) from the floor and scored 60 points in the paint, while MU shot 46.2 percent (24-52) from the floor and 90.9 percent (10-11) from the line. HPU also held a 38-28 edge on the glass and forced got 43 points off 29 MU turnovers.
 
Methodist will travel to Lynchburg to take on the Hornets at 2 pm.