• Junior Emma Bockrath became the 10th Panther in the program’s Division I era to eclipse 1,000 career points finishing the night with a team-high 21.
• Bockrath added 13 boards to record her eighth career double-double while pitching in with three steals.
• High Point is back at home on Tuesday night to host Winthrop at 7:00 p.m.
HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point University women’s basketball junior Emma Bockrath scored 21 to surpass 1,000 points in her career in a 78-59 setback to UNC Asheville on Sunday in the Millis Center.
The Panthers (14-9, 8-4) fell behind 26-17 after a hot-shooting first quarter from the Bulldogs (12-11, 9-3) and could never pull even. HPU battled to within three early in the second half, but an 11-4 run by the visitors late in the third allowed UNC Asheville to build a cushion and close out the win.
“I felt like we didn’t really key into the scouting report because their big three scorers did what they wanted to do,” head coach DeUnna Hendrix said. “I felt like we had a lot of miscommunication and we weren’t bought into the scouting report and if you don’t do that, you don’t win.”
The Bulldogs’ three leading scorers entering the game – Bronaza Fitzgerald, Jessica Wall and Khaila Webb – combined for 63 of the team’s 78 in the game.
Bockrath cleared 1,000 points with her patented pull-up jumper with 4:12 left in the third quarter. The Dayton, Ohio native paired her 21 points with 13 rebounds marking her eighth career double-double. Her 1,003 career points are the 10th-most in HPU’s Division I era.
“It means a lot to reach 1,000 career points,” Bockrath said afterwards. “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. We wanted the win obviously, but it does mean a lot to me.”
Redshirt-junior Kennedy Currie gave the Panthers two in double figures with 10 points and two steals. Despite shooting just 39.1 percent (25-of-64) the Panthers recorded 15 assists paced by sophomore Camryn Brown’s six on the afternoon.
At the point, Brown didn’t commit a turnover as the Purple & White turned the ball over a season-low six times while forcing 17 Bulldog miscues. That edge led to an 18-6 margin in points off turnovers.
However, led by Bronaza Fitzgerald’s 10-of-10 shooting, 23-point, 13-rebound performance, UNC Asheville shot 52.8 percent (28-of-53) and held a 44-27 edge on the glass in the contest.
Fitzgerald exploded out of the gate scoring 14 first-quarter points to spot the Bulldogs a 26-17 edge through 10 minutes. Despite forcing nine turnovers and turning those extra possessions to 10 points and 10 first-half points from Bockrath, HPU was only able to play UNC Asheville even in the second going into the break down 40-31.
After the break, Bockrath continued to assert herself posting an assist and four points in the first two minutes to pull HPU to within three, 40-37. Four minutes later her bucket at the 4:12 mark put her over 1,000 points for her career and cut the deficit to four, 46-42.
However, the Bulldogs answered with an 11-4 run to regain a double-digit lead at 57-46 early in the fourth. Over the next three minutes Currie and senior Kat Harris each made key baskets for the Panthers cutting the deficit to seven, but both times UNC Asheville responded with three-point possessions on the other end moving back ahead by 10, 65-55 with six minutes left.
After Harris’ three-pointer at the 6:09 mark, the Bulldogs closed the game on a 16-4 run to earn the victory.
The Panthers are back in the Millis Center on Tuesday night to take on Winthrop at 7:00 p.m.