Bockrath lifts HPU WBB to 81-70 victory over UNC Asheville

• Sophomore Emma Bockrath led the Panthers with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting while grabbing four boards.
• Senior Kaylah Keys added 18 points including a run-sparking three-pointer early in the third period.
• Junior Kat Harris paced HPU with three steals and three assists to go along with nine points on the afternoon.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Sophomore Emma Bockrath racked up 22 points to lead the High Point University women’s basketball team to a 81-70 triumph over UNC Asheville in the Millis Center on Saturday.

The victory gave the Panthers (8-13, 6-4) their third straight win and second of the season over the preseason favorite Bulldogs (11-10, 5-5).

“It just looks like we are having fun right now and when we’re having fun we are a really good team,” head coach DeUnna Hendrix said. “I can’t say enough about the cohesion we are showing lately because when we have that we can win a lot of games. We’ve been a team that in the past if we didn’t score we suffered letdowns on defense, but now we’re understanding we have to lock down every possession and that has helped our offense.”

Bockrath sparked High Point off the jump scoring nine first-quarter points. Despite battling foul trouble throughout the second quarter, the Dayton, Ohio product finished with a team-high 22 points while hitting 8-of-11 field goal attempts.

Joining Bockrath in double figures, senior Kaylah Keys posted 18 points on the strength of two three-pointers and a 6-of-8 performance at the charity stripe. Likewise, sophomore Lindsey Edwards added 10 points off the bench.

Leading UNC Asheville, Chatori Major posted 27 points while Khaila Webb tallied 20 points.

In the post, sophomore Shea Morgan chipped in with nine points, five rebounds and two blocks in the afternoon.

From her guard spot, junior Kat Harris did a little bit of everything scoring seven points and racking up three steals and three assists.

The Purple & White earned 36 trips to the line while knocking down 26 attempts (72.2 percent). Meanwhile, HPU garnered a +11 margin (39-28) behind a game-best nine rebounds from sophomore Haleigh Hatfield.

The game marked High Point’s third straight 80-point outing as the squad hit 25-of-51 field goals (49.0 percent. The Bulldogs had an effective day on the offensive end as well hitting 27-of-57 (47.4 percent) in the loss.

Bockrath kicked things off for the Panthers scoring nine points in the first quarter as the Purple & White built a 17-12 edge.

However, the sophomore was saddled with foul trouble in the second quarter and UNC Asheville took advantage. Despite five points, three assists and two steals from Harris in the frame, the Bulldogs outscored HPU, 18-16, to enter halftime down three, 33-30.

Out of the break, Keys drilled her second three-pointer of the contest to spark a 15-5 run over the next five minutes as HPU built a 48-35 lead. From there, the squads went back and forth, but the Bulldogs couldn’t get any closer than eight as the Panthers took a 12-point lead into the final period.

UNC Asheville, though, refused to go away scoring the first nine points of the fourth quarter to make it 56-53. Hatfield, then, hit two free throws before Bockrath provided a five straight as HPU regained its double-digit edge, 63-53.

From there, the Bulldogs wouldn’t get any closer than seven as the Purple & White closed out their 81-70 victory.

The Purple & White hit the road on Tuesday when they play at Winthrop at 7 p.m. on the Big South Network.