HPU Women’s Basketball: Hendrix Obtains Milestone in HPU¹s 75-39 Win at Longwood

• The win makes head coach DeUnna Hendrix the third coach in program history to record 100 wins on the Purple & White sideline.
• Sophomore Olivia VanSlooten recorded season highs in points (seven), assists (three) and steals (two).
• High Point outscored Longwood 44-18 in points in the paint while shooting a season-best 54.2 percent.

FARMVILLE, Va. – The High Point University women’s basketball team went on the road to Longwood and came away with a 75-39 victory in Willett Hall on Tuesday night. The triumph gives head coach DeUnna Hendrix 100 career wins making her the third coach in program history to reach the century mark.

After the Lancers (3-19, 1-10) won the opening tip, redshirt-junior Kennedy Currie picked up a steal that led to a fast-break layup for sophomore Camryn Brown just 20 seconds into the game. The Panthers (14-8, 8-3) kept going inside the rest of the game netting a 44-18 edge in points in the paint to cruise to the victory and snap a two-game skid.

“We looked like we were playing High Point basketball again,” Hendrix said. “The kids were having a lot of fun and we were playing up-tempo and everybody was scoring and defending. There was a lot to be pleased with tonight. I think holding them to 39 points was something to be proud of, but we’ve been playing well defensively of late. I’m just proud of the way we played together on offense if you look at our balance because we’re moving the ball, sharing the ball and playing fast and it’s fun when we’re playing like that.”

Hendrix joins Joe Ellenburg (1988-01) and Tooey Loy (2001-11) as the only three High Point women’s basketball coaches with 100 wins at High Point.

Leading a balanced attack that featured nine players with at least four points, senior Kat Harris posted 13 points. Joining Harris in double figures, junior Emma Bockrath notched 12 while Currie added 10. That balance and ability to get the ball inside allowed High Point to shot a season-best 54.2 percent from the field.

While the offensive balance and efficiency was impressive it was a dominant defensive performance that set everything up for HPU. The squad forced 23 turnovers, tallied 18 steals, blocked eight shots and held Longwood to 27.5 percent shooting. The eight blocks tied a season high for HPU while the shooting percentage was the lowest against the Panthers this season. Bockrath led that effort with five steals on the night while Brown and Currie added three apiece.

Brown finished the day perfect from the field shooting 3-of-3 scoring eight points to go with a team-best six boards and two assists. Her classmate, Olivia VanSlooten, tallied season highs with seven points, three assists and two steals while adding two blocks.

Rounding out the box score, junior Shea Morgan chipped in with seven points and a career-high three blocks. Junior Lindsey Edwards added six points and five rebounds and freshman Jiselle Thomas notched six points and two steals. In the final quarter, senior Hunter Fleming scored four points while junior Taylor McGlashan made it 10 Panthers in the scoring column with a bucket.

HPU moves to 5-1 on the road against Big South foes to clinch at least a .500 record on the opponents’ home floor for the third straight season.

Along with the dominant defensive and shooting output, the Purple & White posted a 39-31 edge on the glass.

After a choppy start due to eight foul calls in the first four minutes of action, the Panthers tallied 16 paint points to build an 18-7 edge late in the first. Then, at the first-quarter buzzer Harris snapped a 0-for-25 stretch spanning two-plus games for HPU with a three-pointer to end the first 10 minutes up 21-7.

The Purple & White added to the lead outscoring the Lancers in all four quarters to pull away for a 75-39 road triumph.

The Panthers are back in the Millis Center for a rare Sunday contest playing UNC Asheville at 2:00 p.m. on Stadium.