HPU Women’s Basketball Bests Longwood 79-68 In Big South Opener

• Junior Kaylah Keys continued her stellar play at home with 26 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in the win.
• Freshmen Lindsey Edwards (18 points) and Shea Morgan (12 points) posted season-highs on the night.
• High Point moves to 1-0 in Big South action and will look for a 2-0 start when Radford visits on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University women’s basketball team used an extended run in the third quarter to pull away for a 79-68 win over Longwood in the Millis Center on Tuesday night. Junior Kaylah Keys led three Panthers scoring in double figures with a game-high 26 points.

HPU (2-6, 1-0) held a 34-30 edge at the half before going on a 24-9 run – capped by 10 straight points from freshman Lindsey Edwards – to up its lead to 58-39. From there, the Lancers (1-5, 0-1) cut their deficit to eight (71-61) but couldn’t get any closer as Keys iced the contest at the free throw line.

“It felt good to be home and get a win,” head coach DeUnna Hendrix said of the team snapping a 6-game losing streak. “I think everyone is relieved and I’m really proud of the resiliency and the composure that the team showed tonight. Our defense creates our offense so our focus at the half was on our defense. We were able to come out in the third quarter and get some steals and stops and it helped our offense get going.”

Keys’ 26 points were the second-most she has scored this season behind her 34-point outing in the team’s last home game. Edwards finished the night with a season-high 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Meanwhile, freshman Shea Morgan gave the Purple & White three double-digit scorers with 12 points, which is her season high.

The Panthers racked up a season-best 21 assists as Keys and freshmen Haleigh Hatfield and Emma Bockrath each dished out four dimes apiece. However, HPU lost the rebounding battle (49-37) while being led by Hatfield’s six rebounds.

Despite seven quick points from Keys, the Lancers were able to stay within three points at the end of the first quarter (18-15). Longwood pulled ahead for the first time with a 9-2 run to open the second frame (24-20, 7:16). But five points from Keys and two free throws from Morgan allowed HPU to regain the lead (27-26, 4:14), which the squad extended to four at the break (34-30).

The Panthers stormed out of the gates in the second half posting their 24-9 run before the Lancers clawed back to within 13 (60-47) as the team’s moved to the final quarter.

In the fourth frame, Longwood pulled within eight points on three different occasions before Keys went 8-for-8 from the line down the stretch to give HPU the victory in the Big South opener.

The Purple & White remain in the Millis Center on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. when they take on Radford.