High Point Women’s Basketball Falls Short at Campbell

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The High Point University women’s basketball team couldn’t complete a comeback in the second half, falling to Campbell 79-76 on Saturday at Gore Arena in Buies Creek, N.C. The Panthers battled back from an 11-point deficit in the second half but missed the last-second three-pointer to tie the game.

Redshirt-sophomore Lindsay Puckett shot the ball from three steps behind the arc and missed off the front of the rim with three seconds left in the game. She finished the game with a career-high 25 points and was 4-of-7 from three-point range despite the last shot.

Campbell led by 10, 75-65, with 2:51 to play in the game. The Panthers went on a 9-0 run to close the lead to one, 75-74 after junior Cheyenne Parker sank a free throw to complete a three-point play. Presley Roslyn and Parker traded baskets to make it a 77-76 with 11 seconds to play. The Panthers fouled Tonisha Baker who drained both free throws and keep Campbell up by three. Puckett got a tough look at the last shot and came up just short.

“I was really impressed that we fought back in the final minutes,” said head coach DeUnna Hendrix. “Campbell is a really good team and played with a lot of passion in the second half. We have to be able to match that, especially on the road.”

Parker finished the game with 19 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks for her 14th double-double of the season. Redshirt-sophomore Stacia Robertson added 11 points.

Baker led Campbell with 24 points and Roslyn finished with 18 points off the bench. The Camels improve to 12-4 on the season with a 4-1 mark in Big South play. HPU stands at 10-7 overall and 4-2 in league play.

The Panthers jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead on a layup and a three-pointer by Puckett. The game stayed close through the first six minutes. Baker scored for Campbell on a fastbreak layup to get the Camels within one, 14-13 with 14:13 on the clock. Parker was fouled going up for a basket and drained both her free throws to spark an 8-0 run for the Panthers that put them up 22-13. Freshman Tabitha Fudge had five straight points in the run and junior Tayler Tremblay capped it with a free throw.

Robertson picked up a steal at halfcourt and dished ahead to Fudge for a layup with 5:29 remaining in the first half to keep High Point’s lead at five, 29-24. The Camels answered with a 6-0 run to take their first lead of the game, 30-29 with 2:41 to play. Puckett knocked down a wide-open three pointer to give High Point back the lead immediately, 32-30. After a jumper by Presley briefly tied the game, 32-32, Tremblay scored the final six points of the half to send HPU to the break with a 38-32 lead.

The Panthers committed seven turnovers in the first eight minutes of the second half, resulting in nine Campbell points and a 50-49 Campbell lead. Zena Lovette drained back-to-back three pointers to give the Camels their biggest lead of the game, 56-49, with 10:21 to play. Campbell stretched the lead to 11, 60-49.

Campbell maintained the 10-point lead for nearly seven minutes until Parker knocked in two free throws to make it a 75-67 game with 2:36 to play. That started HPU’s 9-0 run to cut the lead to one.

Fudge finished the game with career highs in points (9) and rebounds (8) and Tremblay added nine points and six assists.

The Panthers are back on the road on Thursday, Jan. 17 for a 7 p.m. game at Liberty. HPU is 10-31 against Liberty with a 5-13 record in Lynchburg, Va. Last year HPU won in overtime at Liberty, 73-69. The Flames have won the last two meetings, including a 81-73 win in the Big South Championship game.