HPU Women’s Basketball shuts down Gardner-Webb in 66-46 win

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The High Point University women’s basketball team held Gardner-Webb without a point in the final six minutes of play to pull away for a 66-46 road win on Friday night in Boiling Springs, N.C. Junior Jennifer Hoover said. “This was a real gutsy performance against a team fighting for its tournament life. We knew they were going to be well prepared and play hard. I was proud of the poise and confidence we showed tonight.”

HPU called a timeout up just five, 51-46, after six quick points by the Runnin’ Bulldogs. Sophomore Cheyenne Parker scored a layup out of the timeout, starting a 15-0 run by the Panthers to close the game. Reynolds scored eight-straight points for HPU during the run, hitting two free throws and connecting on three-straight field goals.

Four High Point starters finished in double figures in the game, led by Reynolds’ 18. Parker had 13 points and 21 rebounds for her conference-best 17th double-double of the season. The sophomore also became the first Big South player to eclipse 100 blocks on a season with six in the game to give her 105 for the season. Senior Shamia Brown had 14 points and sophomore Tayler Tremblay chipped in with 11.

High Point improves to 17-11 overall and 12-5 in the Big South with the win. It is the first time since joining the Big South that HPU has won 12 conference games. Gardner-Webb drops to 4-24 overall and 3-14 in the Big South.

Gardner-Webb scored the first six points of the game before Brown got High Point on the board with a jumper from the free throw line. Brown would score High Point’s first seven points in the game to HPU its first lead at 7-6.

The lead swung back-and-forth between the two teams seven times in the first half until a layup by Parker gave the Panthers the lead with 7:24 remaining. HPU would grow its lead to six twice in the closing minutes of the period before ultimately going into the half up four, 32-28.

Reynolds led High Point at the break with eight points and Parker paced all players on the boards with nine rebounds. Catrina Green led the Runnin’ Bulldogs with 11 points in the opening 20 minutes.

After a layup by Parker to start the second half put HPU up 34-28, Gardner-Webb scored six-straight points to tie the game. The Panthers responded with four-straight points on a layup by Parker and a jumper by redshirt-freshman Lindsay Puckett to take over the lead for good.

High Point forced 23 turnovers in the game, scoring 22 points off those turnovers. The Panthers had 13 steals on the night including four by Brown and three each by Reynolds and Parker.

HPU will close out the regular season on Monday, March 5, when the team travels to Asheville, N.C., to take on the Bulldogs of UNC Asheville at 7 p.m. The Panthers picked up an 89-49 win at home over UNCA in the conference opener back on Dec. 31.