HPU WBB Entertains Coastal Carolina On Tuesday Night

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University women’s basketball team will return home to host Coastal Carolina on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in the Millis Center.

For the first time in over three weeks the Panthers (12-7, 8-2) will be looking to bounce back from a loss when they play the Chanticleers (10-9, 4-6). Although its five-game winning streak was snapped on Saturday at Radford, HPU still holds a home-winning streak that dates back to Jan. 11, 2014.

Last Time Out:
The Purple & White went on the road for a matchup of two of the hottest teams in the conference and fell 61-58 at Radford. The Panthers trailed by a dozen points on several occasions throughout the contest and tied the game with free throws from sophomore Kaylah Keys with 45 seconds remaining. But Radford’s Ayana Avery hit a long-range 3-pointer with 30 seconds left to send the Highlanders to victory.

HPU couldn’t get into an offensive groove against Radford’s active defense and shot just 31 percent from the floor and 21 percent from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Avery and the Highlanders were able to hit clutch shots when they needed them and went 6-of-8 from 3-point land in the second half.

Redshirt-senior Stacia Robertson led the way for HPU with 14 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Keys chipped in with 12 points and three rebounds while sophomore DeAnneisha Jackson posted seven points and seven boards off of the bench.

The Panthers won the turnover battle 21-17 and shot 89 percent (16-of-18) from the free throw line. However, Radford earned a plus-3 margin on the glass and blocked 11 of HPU’s shot attempts. The Highlanders also controlled the pace of the game and didn’t allow the Purple & White to post a single fast break point.

The Opponent:
Coastal Carolina will also be looking to bounce back from a tough road loss as it fell 68-61 at UNC Asheville on Saturday. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Chanticleers who are sitting at seventh in the league standings. Freshman Jas Adams led the team with 18 points as the Bulldogs held CCU well below its average of 73.3 ppg.

Senior wing A.J. Jordan is leading the Big South with 16.4 ppg and has upped her average to 18.8 ppg in league play. Redshirt-sophomore Ced Gibson flanks Jordan in the Chanticleers backcourt and is one of the better point guards in the league. The High Point, N.C. native is averaging 13.2 points and 3.4 assists per contest.

Junior Anna Vogt and sophomore Alexis Robinson form one of the most productive forward tandems in the league. Vogt is tallying 13.1 points and 8.5 rebounds while Robinson 6.3 points and 8.5 boards. The team has the second-best rebounding margin this season and is grabbing 8.6 more rebounds than its opponent per night.

Keeping possession will be key for the Panthers since the Chanticleers are also second in the conference with a positive turnover margin on the season. Likewise, containing the dribble will be an important factor for HPU as CCU is averaging 25 free throw attempts per contest. Tuesday figures to be an up-tempo game as both teams get off more than 60 shots per game.

Panther Notes:

• The Panthers hold a 25-14 series lead over the Chanticleers with the Purple & White winning the last eight meetings in the Millis Center.

• Tuesday’s game will feature the Big South’s two most prolific offenses. CCU is leading the league with 73.3 ppg while HPU is registering 70.0 ppg.

• The Purple & White have won 14 straight games inside the Millis Center dating back to Jan. 11, 2014. The team is 9-0 at home this season after winning the final five home games last year when the team went 11-3 in the Millis Center. High Point is 40-11 (.784) in the Millis Center since the start of the 2011-12 season. The record is a 19-game streak from Jan. ‘05 – Feb. ‘06.

• No Panther has enjoyed playing at home more than sophomore Kaylah Keys. The guard is averaging 19.4 points per game and shooting 39 percent from beyond the arc at home.

• Stacia Robertson ranks in the top 25 nationally in field goal percentage (fifth, .598), blocks (13th, 3.39) and steals (24th, 2.89). The forward is also second in the Big South – 71st in the nation – in rebounding with 9.3 rebs/g., She leads the conference in steals and shooting percentage, is second in rebounding and blocks and third in scoring.

• Kaylah Keys and Stacia Robertson form the highest-scoring tandem in the Big South. The inside-outside duo is averaging 30.8 points a game. Robertson is third in the league with 15.5 ppg while Keys is fourth with 15.3 ppg.

• High Point hasn’t lost back-to-back league games since taking consecutive road losses at Gardner-Webb and Presbyterian on Feb. 21 and Feb. 23, 2013. The team has gone 32 straight conference games without taking two straight loses.

•The Purple & White is 11-1 when at least three players reach double figures in scoring. The win over Gardner-Webb was the first time this season the team won with two-or-fewer players scoring 10-plus points.

Next Up:
The Panthers will get their shot to avenge their loss to Liberty on Saturday when the Flames visit the Millis Center at 2 p.m.