HIGH POINT, N.C. – Junior Stacia Robertson recorded a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds to lead the High Point University women’s basketball team to a 64-59 win over Campbell on Thursday night at the Millis Center. The win was the sixth straight for the Panthers who improve to 10-3 in the Big South.
“This team showed a lot of maturity tonight,” said head coach DeUnna Hendrix. “This is the type of gritty, physical game we struggled with early in the season. Tonight they kept their composure and pulled each other through the tough moments.”
The Panthers improve to 10-3 in Big South play and remain in second place in the league standings. Robertson finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds, two blocks, two steals and two assists. Freshman Kaylah Keys led all scorers with 15 points and five assists and freshman DeAnneisha Jackson chipped in 10 points and six rebounds.
High Point continued its strong shooting at the foul line, shooting 16-of-19 as a team, led by Keys who was 8-of-8. Keys has made her last 17 free-throw attempts going back to the win at Longwood on Jan. 25.
High Point overcame a slow start to the game to lead 26-23 at halftime. Campbell opened up an 8-0 lead in the first three and a half minutes of the contest. Keys snapped the CU streak with a three from the left elbow. The Camels pushed the lead to 14-6 with 11:21 left in the half on a jumper from D Janelle Brown. HPU kept Campbell scoreless for the next five minutes while going on a 8-0 run to tie the game 14-14 when Ashante Richard pulled up for a jumper in the paint with 6:30 on the clock. Robertson converted a three-point play to give High Point its first lead of the day, 17-16, with just under six minutes left in the opening half. Keys found Robertson down low for the final basket of the half and HPU took a 26-23 lead in to the locker room.
The Panthers started the second half with a 9-2 run to open up a 10-point lead, 35-25 with 16:38 on the clock. High Point would never trail in the second half although Campbell cut the lead to one on two occasions. Kiera Gaines had a steal and a fast-break layup to make it a 44-43 HPU lead with 9:03 to play and Roslyn Presley hit a jumper two and a half minutes later to make it 48-47. On the next possession Teddy Vincent drained a three to 7-0 High Point run. Keys scored the final four points of the game at the free-throw line and the Panthers held on for a 64-59.
HPU has won six in a row and seven of the last eight games to improve to 15-8 on the season. This is the longest win streak for the Panthers since winning nine in a row during the 2011-12 season.
High Point will host Coastal Carolina on Saturday at 4 p.m. The Chanticleers handed HPU a 85-73 loss in Conway, S.C. on Jan. 2.