High Point's women's basketball team opened the 2004-05 Big South Conference schedule on Saturday afternoon with a 55-52 win over Winthrop.

Charlena Martin scored 13 points (including the game-winning free throw with 7.5 seconds left) to lead the Panthers (5-8, 1-0 Big South). Katie Ralls had nine points, three rebounds and two assists, while Katie O'Dell provided eight points and three rebounds.

Emily Mills provided a team-high eight boards and also tallied seven points and two assists for HPU.

Gene't Moore led Winthrop (2-12, 0-1 Big South) with 19 points, shooting 5-for-10 from behind the arc, while Jessica Dukes added 12 points and nine rebounds.

The game sported 12 lead changes and 11 ties.

High Point scored the first six points of the contest, but Winthrop tallied the final six points of the half to carry a slim 25-23 edge to the locker room.

Neither team led by more than six points the entire game.

The Panthers built a pair of five-point second-half leads, the last at 37-32 following a Candyce Sellars layup with 13:15 left before Winthrop used an 8-2 run to grab a 40-39 edge on Moore's three with 9:36 to play.

Three lead changes and three ties later, Chan Ingram drained a trey to give HPU a 52-49 advantage with 1:57 to go. The score wouldn't change until Moore tied things up on a three-pointer (52-52) with 30 seconds left.

High Point chose not to call timeout and Martin held the ball to set up for the last shot. She drove the lane inside of ten seconds and was fouled by WU's Jolandra Crump.

Martin hit her first free throw to give the Panthers a 53-52 edge, but Mills was whistled for a lane violation on the second shot and the ball went over to Winthrop. After both teams called timeout, WU's Arin Kress took the inbounds pass, but Ralls stole the ball and the Lady Eagles were forced to foul with 2.3 seconds remaining. Ralls made both free throws and Winthrop was unable to get off a final shot.

The Panthers return home on Monday night to face Gardner-Webb in their final non-conference game of the regular season. Tip-off is set for 7:00 pm in the Millis Center.