Women’s Basketball: HPU Holds On for 59-56 Win at Norfolk State

• HPU put four players in double figures for the second straight game, led by junior Emma Bockrath’s 14 points.
• Sophomore Camryn Brown (13), senior Kat Harris (12), and junior Shea Morgan (10) also posted double-figure outputs to lead the balanced Panther attack.
• High Point won its third straight game overall and claimed back-to-back non-conference Div. I road wins for the first time since 2012-13.

NORFOLK, Va.- Senior Kat Harris scored five points in the final two minutes, including a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left, to help the High Point University women’s basketball team fend off Norfolk State, 59-56, on Wednesday night at Memorial Hall.

The Panthers (4-2) secured their third straight victory and were able to withstand a furious Spartans (2-4) rally thanks to building a 14-point lead in the third quarter. HPU won consecutive non-conference road games for the first time since the 2012-13 season in the process.

“I’m proud of our team for their resiliency and poise these last two games,” head coach DeUnna Hendrix said. “We’ve been able to utilize our cohesiveness and team belief in adverse situations, such as playing on the road, to come away with two victories. The non-conference portion of our season is a time for growth and we’re continuing to develop each night out.”

Harris was one of four Panthers in double figures, a mark reached for the second straight game and third time this season. The senior guard finished with 12 points, two rebounds and three assists. Junior Emma Bockrath led HPU with 14 points, eight of which came during a third quarter run.

Sophomore Camryn Brown, coming off a career-high 24 points on Monday, chipped in 13 and five assists. Junior Shea Morgan added 10 points and five boards.

Overall, seven of the eight players that played for High Point scored and all eight corralled at least one rebound, led by seven a piece from junior Lindsay Edwards and redshirt-junior Kennedy Currie.

HPU overcame its toughest shooting night of the year (28 percent, 19-of-67) thanks to eight three-pointers, which tied a season best. The Panthers held the Spartans to 1-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc and 38 percent from the field.

The Purple & White, led by Harris’ 5-for-6 line, were 13-for-18 from the free throw line while Norfolk State hit only 9-of-26 free throws. High Point was outrebounded for just the second time this year (48-44).

HPU grabbed an early seven-point advantage in the first quarter thanks to its aggressive defense forcing seven turnovers in the opening 10 minutes. Morgan scored six straight points as part of an 8-0 run that put the Panthers on top 13-6.

Norfolk State rallied to take a brief 17-15 advantage late in the first quarter before HPU scored five straight to regain the lead for good. The Panthers created separation in the second quarter on the backs of a 13-2 run over six-and-a-half minutes to take a 35-23 lead.

The Purple & White limited NSU to 1-of-10 shooting over the stretch, which was punctuated by consecutive buckets from Harris and Brown in the final minute of the stanza. A Spartan bucket in the final 10 seconds trimmed the High Point advantage to 35-25 at intermission.

The Panthers extended the lead to as many as 14 in the third quarter at 42-28 on a 7-0 run catalyzed by five points from Bockrath. HPU was ahead by 14 with 3:59 remaining in the frame when Norfolk State began its comeback. The Spartans responded with a 24-11 spurt over a 13-minute span to close to within one with 25 seconds left.

Harris was fouled, and drilled both free throws with 11 seconds left to push the lead back to three. Norfolk State’s game-tying three-point attempt missed in the waning seconds as HPU escaped with the triumph.

Winners of three straight, the Panthers will look to extend the stretch and remain perfect at home on Sunday at noon against UAB. The game will be streamed on the Big South Network and on the High Point Panthers Radio Network.