Kemrite does right as Liberty edges High Point 55-52

LYNCHBURG, Va. -- Ryan Kemrite scored eight of his 21 points down the stretch, including a pair of 3-pointers as Liberty held on to defeat High Point 55-52 for its seventh win in a row on Tuesday night.

The win puts the Flames alone atop the Big South Conference, at least until the rest of the conference plays on Wednesday.

High Point (14-13, 8-7) made a 5-0 run to trail 44-43 with just under five minutes left, but then Kemrite scored on a pretty turnaround jumper in the paint, dropped in a trey from the top of the arc and the 52-44 lead was Liberty's largest. Kemrite added a wide-open 3 from the corner with 12 seconds left and the Flames (18-10, 13-2) led 55-50.

A Ricky Madison tip-in pulled High Point to 55-52 and an Andre Fox 3 at the buzzer was short. Madison, Miles Bowman Jr. and Fox each scored 14.

Co-Big South leader UNC-Asheville (12-2) has reeled off seven straight wins since being upended by Winthrop Jan. 19. Liberty closes the regular season at UNC-Asheville on Feb. 25.