HPU WBB’s Robertson Reaches 1,000 Points In 81-55 Win

• Redshirt-senior Stacia Robertson scored 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting to become the eighth player in HPU’s Division I era to score 1,000 points.
• Senior Latrice Phelps chipped in with 17 points and seven rebounds – including four offensive boards.
• The Panthers moved to 8-0 in the Millis Center this season as has won 13 straight home games.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University women’s basketball team (10-6, 6-1) got off to a slow start, before finishing strong in an 81-55 win over Winthrop on Saturday afternoon (8-7, 4-2) inside the Millis Center.

Redshirt-senior Stacia Robertson led the Panthers with 22 points to go along with 14 rebounds, five blocks and four assists. The forward’s double-double was her sixth of the season.

“I could talk about what Stacia Robertson does for our program all day,” head coach DeUnna Hendrix said. “Scoring 1,000 points in just two and a half seasons really shows what she brings to our team. I’m very proud of her.”

Robertson’s 22 points pushed her over the 1,000-point plateau, making her the eighth Panther to reach the 1,000-point plateau in the Division I era and the 18th player overall.

“I don’t really care about that kind of thing,” Robertson said of scoring her 1,000th point. “It’s nice to get there, definitely.”

Senior Latrice Phelps added 17 points and seven rebounds with four offensive boards for the Panthers. Sophomore Maja Michalska came off the bench to post a career-high 14 points on 2-of-4 shooting from three-point land. Sophomore Kaylah Keys rounded out the four Panthers scoring in double figures with 12 points while leading the team with six assists.

Sophomore DeAnneisha Jackson pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds as HPU grabbed 53 boards, the most in a game this season, and earned a plus-13 advantage on the glass. The Purple & White finished the game with a 44 shooting percentage while holding the Eagles to just 34 percent from the floor.

“I thought that our kids really locked into the game plan and right now we are playing on another level, which is really fun to see,” Hendrix said. “Defense and rebounding is always the key and I really think the kids are starting to buy into it and it shows.”

The active Eagles’ zone made things difficult early as the Panthers started 2-of-18 from the floor and trailed 8-4 with 13:05 remaining in the first half. Phelps got HPU out of its early slump, hitting her next three shots, including two putbacks to tie the game at 10-10 with 10 minutes left in the half.

HPU took its first lead of the game on back-to-back buckets by Keys with 5:45 until the break. Robertson took over from there scoring the next nine points for the Purple & White, pushing the lead out to 10 (25-15, 2:05). With Robertson and Phelps controlling the paint, the Panthers hit seven of their final 11 shots to close out the half with a 27-19 lead.

Michalska opened the second half with a 3-pointer from the left wing to give HPU a 30-19 lead with 19:30 to play. The Panthers were able to continue to stretch their lead as Michalska drilled another 3-pointer and Jackson found senior Ashante Richard for a cutting layup.

The Eagles wouldn’t go away as Winthrop’s Aliyah Kilpatrick scored seven-straight points to cut the High Point lead to nine at 49-40. Phelps once again had the answer on the other end scoring four-straight points to put HPU up by 13 with 10:22 to play. The buckets by Phelps sparked an 18-4 run by the Panthers to take a 23-point lead, 67-44. The team was able to cruise the rest of the game for an 81-55 victory.

High Point shot 19-31 from the floor (61.3 percent) in the second half to pull away for the 26-point win. After opening the game shooting 2-of-18, The Panthers shot 29-of-52 (55.8 percent) over the final 33 minutes of action.

HPU will be back on the road on Tuesday as it visits UNC Ashville at 7 p.m. looking for its fourth-straight win. The team will then enjoy seven days without a game before hosting Gardner-Webb on Jan. 20.