Kaylah Keys Scores Career-High 26 In HPU Women’s Basketball Loss To Winthrop

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University women’s basketball team overcame a 19-point first half deficit to take the lead early in the second half but Winthrop pulled out the 79-72 victory on Saturday at the Millis Center. Freshman Kaylah Keys scored a career-high 26 points while junior Latrice Phelps posted her first double-double.

“I was very proud of the effort,” said head coach DeUnna Hendrix. “We didn’t quit when we were down 19 in the first half. We have to play with focus and intensity for 40 minutes to beat a team as good as Winthrop and we just didn’t sustain it today.”

Keys led all scorers with a career-high 26 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Phelps tallied career highs in points (11) and rebounds (14) for her first double-double as a Panther. Redshirt-junior Lindsay Puckett added 11 points and three assists.

Dequesha McClanahan led Winthrop with 17 points and 10 assists and Shaquilla Nunn registered a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds.

High Point is 5-4 on the season and 1-1 in Big South play. Winthrop improves to 6-2 overall and 1-0 against league opponents.

High Point started the game with a 7-2 run on baskets from Stacia Robertson, Keys and Tayler Tremblay. Nunn grabbed a rebound and scored on the putback to start a 16-0 run for the Eagles and give them an 18-7 lead with 12:45 on the clock.

Winthrop took its biggest lead of the game, a 19-point advantage (38-21), with 3:59 left to play in the half on two made free throws by Samiya Wright. High Point finished the half on a 14-3 run to close the lead to eight (43-35) at halftime. Keys had seven of HPU’s 14 points during the final three minutes.

Puckett drained a three to open the second half and continue to cut in to Winthrop’s lead, 43-38. With 16:30 on the clock Puckett hit her second tre of the game to make it a one-point deficit, 46-45. The Panthers tied the game when Phelps converted an old-fashioned three-point play, knotting the score 48-48 with 15:30 on the clock.

Keys scored from behind the arc to give the Panthers their first lead since the opening minutes, 53-51 with 14:29 to play. The game was tied two more times before Winthrop took back control on a jumper by Wright. It gave the Eagles a 56-54 lead, which they maintained for the rest of the game. Winthrop pushed the lead to double figures, 79-69 with less than a minute remaining. Keys hit her fifth three-pointer of the game with nineteen seconds to play to make the final score, 79-72.

Freshman DeAnneisha Jackson finished the game with seven points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Junior Lexi Patterson added seven points and two assists.

High Point will head to Birmingham, Ala. to face UAB on Tuesday at 8 p.m. Last year UAB topped the Panthers 58-53 at the Millis Center.