HPU Women’s Basketball Edges William & Mary, 61-60

WILLIAMSBURG, VA – The High Point University women’s basketball team held on for a 61-60 win at William & Mary on Tuesday at Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Va. Senior Tayler Tremblay scored with seven seconds left to give the Panthers the one-point win. Tremblay and redshirt-junior Stacia Robertson each posted a double-double in the game.

With just under a minute to play William & Mary took a 60-59 lead on a layup from Kaitlyn Mathieu. The Panthers missed a basket but junior Latrice Phelps forced a William & Mary turnover to give the Panthers the ball with 12 seconds left. Tremblay drained a pull-up jumper with seven seconds on the clock to put the Panthers ahead 61-60. The Tribe heaved a half court shot that hit off the front of the rim and HPU held on for the win.

“Our upperclassmen stepped up to get us this win,” said head coach DeUnna Hendrix. “They never doubted themselves late in the game. This team is improving every day and the belief they had in themselves tonight was fantastic. We are still young and had too many turnovers but I am so excited to get a close road win.”

Tremblay finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Robertson scored 14 points to go with a career-high 17 rebounds and four assists. Phelps finished the night with 10 points and three steals.

The win moves High Point to 3-1 on the season while William & Mary is 0-3 on the year.

The Panthers scored more than half their points in the opening period off William & Mary turnovers. High Point scored 18 points off 17 Tribe turnovers to lead the game 35-28 at halftime.

High Point made their first two three-pointers of the night, one each from redshirt-junior Lindsay Puckett and freshman Maja Michalska to open up an early 8-2 lead. William & Mary countered with an 18-4 run to take a 20-12 lead with 11:22 left in the half. Phelps started chipping in to the lead with two made free throws and a fade-away jumper. Robertson and Michalska followed with baskets to tie the game 20-20 with 7:12 on the clock. Michalska grabbed an offensive rebound and the put back for the game-tying bucket. Sophomore Jatzmin Johnson hit a jumper from the free-throw line to give HPU the 22-20 lead with 6:32 to play. The Panthers outscored William & Mary 13-8 in the final minutes of the half to take a 35-28 lead in to the break.

The Tribe took their first lead on over 16 minutes of play, 45-43, on two free throws from Kyla Kerstetter. The Panthers pushed their lead back to five (57-52) on a tre from Puckett with 5:10 to play. A six-point run gave William & Mary back the lead, 58-57, with two minutes to play. Robertson was fouled under the basket and made both free throws, swinging the lead back in HPU’s favor, 59-58.

Kerstetter grabbed a defensive board and William & Mary found Mathieu under the basket for a layup and the lead with 57 seconds on the clock. Phelps stole the ball from Anna Kestler to set up Tremblay’s game-winning basket.

Puckett finished the game with eight points and Michalska chipped in seven points.

The Panthers return to the Millis Center for a 2 p.m. matchup with Davidson on Sunday, Nov. 24. HPU is 4-3 all-time against the Wildcats after a 52-49 loss at Davidson last year.