• Senior Emma Bockrath led HPU with 29 points.
• Senior Bria Gibson added 16 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
• With the win, High Point set the program record in the Division I era for regular season wins with 21.
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University women’s basketball team defeated UNC Asheville in overtime, 82-81, Wednesday, March 6, in the Millis Center. This marks the Panthers’ 21st win of the season, which is the most regular season wins in the Division I era in program history. This passes the previous mark of 20 regular season wins in the 2013-14 season.
High Point (21-7, 13-3) out-rebounded UNC Asheville (16-13, 11-7) 39-34. The Panthers shot 47.4 (36-76) percent from the field and 50.0 (7-14) percent from three, while the Bulldogs went 49.1 (28-57) percent from the field and 38.9 (7-18) percent from behind the arc. The Purple & White dished out 19 assists and forced UNC Asheville into 18 turnovers.
“That was a fun game,” HPU head coach DeUnna Hendrix said. “It was definitely a fun game. I felt like our first half we came out pretty locked in and focused and had a great start, but when you play an Asheville team you never rest very easily. We sort of knew they were going to come on a run and they did. Credit to Asheville and coach [Brenda] Mock [Kirkpatrick]. She does a great job over there. I’m just glad our kids got the win.”
Senior Emma Bockrath led HPU with 29 points, five rebounds, four assists and one steal. Senior Bria Gibson grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and added 16 points, while junior Camryn Brown logged a game-high seven assists.
The Bulldogs opened overtime with a three from Jessica Wall to take a 77-74 lead, but High Point reeled off six-unanswered points to lead 80-77. After Sonora Dengokl hit an and-1 layup for UNC Asheville, senior Shea Morgan scored her sixth point of overtime, and 15th of the game, to give HPU an 82-80 lead. Wall made one of two free throws for UNC Asheville to cut the score to 82-81 with 56 second remaining, but the Panthers were able to hold off the Bulldogs on the last possession to claim the win.
The Panthers led 60-53 going into the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs went on an 8-0 run to tie the game at 60. High Point responded with a 7-0 run of its own, but UNC Asheville returned with a 7-0 punch to tie the game at 70. Both teams scored twice before the end of regulation and the game went to overtime tied at 74-74.
High Point out-scored UNC Asheville 38-26 in the paint, 24-16 off turnovers, 17-13 in second chance points and 8-2 on the fast break. The Bulldogs took a slight edge in bench points at 27-25. Morgan added 15 points, four rebounds, one assist and two steals for HPU. Every player that entered the game for High Point scored at least two points.
The Panthers jumped out to a 9-1 lead in the first quarter. HPU led 21-5 after the first quarter. The Bulldogs responded by closing the first half on a 12-4 run to cut HPU’s lead to 40-28. High Point shot 50.0 percent (18-36) from the field and 42.9 percent (3-7) from three, while UNC Asheville went 33.3 percent (8-24) from the field and 28.6 percent (2-7) from behind the arc in the first half.
Up next, the Panthers will conclude the 2019 regular season as they travel to Buies Creek, N.C. to play Campbell on Saturday, March 9. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.