• High Point outscored Norfolk State 25-19 over the final nine minutes, but was unable to complete the comeback falling 63-60.
• Senior Kaylah Keys hit 4-of-4 three-point attempts in the fourth quarter to lead High Point’s comeback attempt. The guard finished with a game-high 19 points.
• Sophomore Taylor McGlashan posted a career-high 10 points to go with seven boards on the night.
HIGH POINT, N.C. – Senior Kaylah Keys posted 16 fourth-quarter points, but the High Point University women’s basketball team was unable to overcome a slow start in a 63-60 setback to Norfolk State on Wednesday in the Millis Center.
Keys led the Panthers (1-5) with 19 points – all coming after halftime – as the HPU battled back from a 14-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter. Despite the Purple & White closing the game on a 25-14 run, the Spartans (3-4) were able to hold on for a 63-60 win when junior Kat Harris’ last-second attempt rimmed out.
“I don’t know what our mindset was coming into this game, but I didn’t feel good about it after shoot around and warm-ups,” head coach DeUnna Hendrix said. “We’ve talked about mentality throughout the year and I just think we need to mature as a team. We hit shots in the second half, but they shot 63 percent in the fourth quarter, too. We played better offensively after halftime, but we didn’t take the defensive part to heart like we needed to.”
The Panthers came out of the gate cold hitting just one of their 17 first-quarter field goal attempts. The rest of the way the team shot 19-45 (42 percent), but couldn’t overcome the 17-5 deficit coming out of the first period.
Keys’ 19 points pulled her within 19 points of Shamia Brown for HPU’s Division I scoring record. The Memphis, Tenn. native also added four rebounds and two assists after missing much of the first half in foul trouble.
On the inside, sophomore Taylor McGlashan had one of her better performances in an HPU uniform posting a career-high 10 points to go with seven boards and three steals. Similarly, Harris added nine points and seven rebounds from her guard spot.
The HPU bench, which has crucial to the team’s success this year, combined for a season-low eight points and 10 rebounds on the night.
Rounding out the scoring for High Point’s starting lineup, sophomore Shea Morgan tallied eight points and three steals as sophomore Emma Bockrath posted six points and four assists.
For the visitors, Kayla Roberts recorded a double-double with 16 points and 17 boards as Jordan Strode added 16 points.
In the contest, Norfolk State owned a 48-40 edge in rebounds and outshot HPU 39.7 percent to 32.2 percent. On the other hand, High Point was +5 in turnovers (18-13) and racked up 11 steals on the night.
The Spartans defense gave the Panthers fits in the first quarter holding HPU to 1-of-17 shooting in the frame as Norfolk State took a 17-5 lead.
However, McGlashan sandwiched baskets around a free throw by Harris to spark a 5-0 HPU run to cut the deficit to seven, 17-10, at the 7:23 mark. But the visitors answered with six straight to make it 23-10 with 4:58 until the break.
From there, buckets by Morgan and Bockrath pulled High Point within nine again (27-16, 2:11) before the Spartans fought back to regain a 30-19 edge at halftime.
After the break, HPU saw seven players score a basket in the midst of a 10-1 run to cut the deficit to two, 37-35, with 2:33 left in the third.
But once again the Spartans responded with a 12-0 run over the next three minutes to regain a 14-point edge with 9:19 remaining. Then, Keys went off hitting three straight three-pointers to produce a 9-0 run to make it 49-44 with 7:03 to play.
Norfolk State answered again scoring three straight before Keys drilled her fourth trifecta of the period (51-47, 5:49). From there, the Spartans’ lead stayed between seven and four points until Harris hit a triple to make it 63-60 with 0:43 to play.
McGlashan gave the Purple & White hope with a steal with 17 seconds left before Harris just missed a three to tie it. However, Keys pulled down the rebound and kicked it back out to Harris, but the junior’s last-second attempt came up short giving Norfolk State a 63-60 victory.
The Purple & White are right back on the Millis Center floor on Saturday at 2 p.m. against Stetson. Following the women’s game, the HPU men’s basketball team will take on Drexel at 7 p.m.