High Point Women’s Basketball Rolls Past Gardner-Webb, 64-42

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University women’s basketball team improved to 3-1 in Big South Conference play with a 64-42 win over Gardner-Webb on Saturday at the Millis Center. Four players scored in double figures for the Panthers including graduate student Kendra Wallace with 15 points.

“The team is really taking pride in their defense. We forced 26 turnovers tonight and it is transitioned easily in to our offense.,” said head coach DeUnna Hendrix. “Cheyenne Parker and Stacia Robertson aren’t surprises. Everyone in the league knows what they are going to do but it is great to see Kendra Wallace and Lindsay Puckett knocking down shots and giving us balance. We are excited to start conference play 3-1 and ride this momentum in to Coastal Carolina where the Big South Tournament will be this year.”

Wallace also had a career-high eight rebounds in the win. Junior Cheyenne Parker led all players with 16 points, 16 rebounds, seven blocks and six steals. She also had three assists. It was her 12th double-double of the season. Redshirt-sophomore Lindsay Puckett scored 15 points and redshirt-sophomore Stacia Robertson added 12 points, eight rebounds and four blocks.

Jasmine Dale led Gardner-Webb with 14 points and Doreen Richardson added eight points and 10 rebounds.

The Panthers improve to 9-6 overall and 3-1 in Big South games. Gardner-Webb drops to 7-7 and 0-3 in league games.

Gardner-Webb scored the first basket of the game on a layup by Catrina Green. It was the only time High Point trailed in the contest. Puckett converted back-to-back baskets to put High Point up 4-2 and the Panthers led the rest of the way. With 11:20 left in the opening period, Robertson collected an offensive rebound and scored on the putback to give High Point a double-digit lead, 17-7.

High Point’s biggest lead of the first half was 22 points, 31-9, with 5:45 remaining. Robertson was fouled by Jessica Heilig and drained both free throws. Wallace hit a long jumper at the end of the half to send the Panthers to the locker room with a 39-18 lead.

The Panthers kept up the defensive pressure in the second half, leading by at least 15 points for the remainder of the game. High Point scored 25 points off 26 Gardner-Webb turnovers and the Runnin’ Bulldogs were held to 22.8 percent shooting from the field. The Panthers outscored GWU 25-12 in the paint.

Junior Tayler Tremblay had six assists for the second straight game and freshman Tabitha Fudge grabbed four rebounds and one block. High Point had 13 blocks in the game, topping their NCAA-leading average of 7.1

High Point heads to Coastal Carolina on Thursday, Jan. 10 for a 7 p.m. Big South game. HPU is 21-13 against the Chanticleers all-time with a 7-7 record in Conway, S.C. Last year HPU went 2-1 against Coastal Carolina. The teams split the regular season series and the Panthers beat CCU in the Big South Tournament.