HIGH POINT, N.C. -- Adam Weary scored 24 points -- including the eventual game-winner -- with eight assists and High Point forced a three-way tie atop the Big South Conference, beating Winthrop 87-85 on Thursday night.

High Point (19-9), Winthrop (20-8) and UNC Asheville (19-10) are all 12-5 in the conference with one game to play, while Coastal Carolina (17-10) is one game back.

High Point had a close lead much of the game, but a late 11-2 run, capped by a 3-point play from Xavier Cooks, put Winthrop up by one, 81-80, with 3:24 to go. High Point responded with Weary's 3-pointer, and his spinning, left-handed layup with 1:46 left made it a four-point game.

Zach Price's layup with 1:10 remaining cut it to two, but Cooks and Keon Johnson both missed inside six seconds and High Point held on.

John Brown scored 19 points, while Miles Bowman Jr had 15 points with 11 rebounds for High Point.

Johnson led Winthrop with 25 points. Jimmy Gavin had 20 and Cooks finished with 14.