HPU Women’s Basketball Extends Streak to Six with 79-58 Win at Winthrop

• Junior Emma Bockrath racked up 16 first-half points before finishing with 25 points, five steals and four assists.
• Junior Lindsey Edwards tied her career high in steals (four), assists (four) and rebounds (seven) while scoring 15 points.
• Head coach DeUnna Hendrix moves to 68-32 in Big South games and owns the second-highest winning percentage among coaches with 100 games in league history.

ROCK HILL, S.C. – The High Point University women’s basketball team shook off a slow start to claim a 79-58 victory at Winthrop on Saturday – the team’s sixth straight win.

While the rest of the team shot 5-of-23 in the first 20 minutes, junior Emma Bockrath buoyed the Panthers (10-5, 4-0) with 16 first-half points as HPU built a 38-25 halftime lead. From there, the Eagles (1-14, 0-4) couldn’t get any closer than eight as HPU closed out its second straight 20-point win.

Despite being outshot 44.2 percent to 37.5 percent in the contest, the Purple & White overcame that hitting 22-of-24 from the line. The squad also forced 24 turnovers while collecting 16 steals and sent Winthrop to the line just seven times.

“We didn’t shoot the ball well today so we tried to get into the paint and get to the rim,” head coach DeUnna Hendrix said. “We just didn’t play well offensively today because I think we lacked focus. I talk about our maturity a lot and sometimes we have it and sometimes we don’t, so I’m challenging this team to come into every game ready because today we weren’t.”

Bockrath did it all for the Panthers finishing with a season-high 25 points while collecting five steals, six rebounds and three assists. The guard has scored in double figures in 30 of her career 42 Big South regular season contests including eight 20-point outings.

On the other wing, junior Lindsey Edwards tied three career highs with seven rebounds, four steals and four assists. She also used a 7-of-7 mark from the line to score 15 points – the most she’s scored since Nov. 21.

In the paint, redshirt-junior Kennedy Currie corralled 10 rebounds as HPU garnered a 37-31 margin on the glass.

Giving the Panthers three in double figures, senior Kat Harris racked up 16 points behind an 8-of-8 afternoon from the line. The Panthers were credited with 14 assists on their 24 makes with sophomore Camryn Brown earning four in the win.

The win gives Hendrix her first 4-0 start in Big South play and gives her a 68-32 record in 100 league contests. Only Liberty’s Carey Green has a higher winning percentage than Hendrix among Big South coaches with 100 games as head coach.

Despite starting the game 2-of-13 from the floor HPU built a 24-12 lead early in the second quarter. However, the Panthers had to withstand an 11-0 run, which cut the lead to one, 24-23, with 5:37 until the half. But over the final five minutes the Purple & White regained control closing the half on a 14-2 run to take a 38-25 edge into the break.

Much like the first half, the Panthers came out of the break and stretched their lead to 16 at 45-29 before Winthrop clawed back. The home team fought to within eight, 47-39, but couldn’t get any closer as the Panthers went 9-of-9 from the line to earn the 79-58 triumph.

The Panthers stay on the road on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. to take on Campbell in a crucial Big South matchup.