Katie O'Dell scored 21 points and tied her career-high with 14 rebounds to help High Point get back on track with a 63-61 win over in-state rival Appalachian State Sunday afternoon in women's basketball action in the Millis Center.

Playing their first game in two weeks, the Panthers rallied from an eight-point second-half deficit to improve to 3-7 on the season, while the Mountaineers dip to 6-5.

Emily Mills and Charlena Martin added 12 points apiece for HPU, which snapped a seven-game skid.

It was the third double-double for O'Dell in her last three contests and the sixth of her career. O'Dell had missed the Panthers' last two games (against South Florida and Indiana State Dec. 18-19) due to illness.

ASU, which won at Clemson earlier this season, got a team-high 15 points from Jaime Bennett, 13 points from Lindsay Smith and 12 points from Eboni Kirby.

Trailing 11-4 early, the Panthers used an 11-0 run to grab a 15-11 lead on a jumper by Katie Ralls at the 8:07 mark of the first half. HPU held the Mountaineers scoreless for more than six minutes during that span.

The Panthers kept the lead until Whitney Tossie completed an old-fashioned three-point play with 1.7 seconds to go to help Appalachian take a slim 21-19 edge to intermission.

High Point surged in front on back-to-back fast-break layups by Martin for a 25-22 lead two minutes into the second half before ASU outscored the Panthers 14-5 to grab a 36-29 advantage on a layup by Kiki Conyers at the 14:23 mark. The Mountaineers' biggest lead was eight points at 40-32 with 13:12 to play following a Bennett.

HPU then scored 11 of the next 14 points and pulled even at 43-43 when O'Dell hit one of her 10 free throws with 7:07 left. Less than two minutes later, Raven Truslow gave the Panthers their first lead since the opening moments of the half with a pair of foul shots to push the Panthers ahead 49-48. The free throws began a 12-3 High Point run which led to a 59-51 Panther lead after two free throws by Candyce Sellars with 3:35 to go.

ASU closed within 59-55 after a layup by Danielle Edwards with 1:11 to go, but free throws by O'Dell and Ralls pushed the lead back to seven at 62-55. A three-pointer by Smith as time expired brought the game to its final, 63-61.

Bennett pulled down a team-best nine boards for Appalachian, which got four assists and three steals from Smith. Mills added eight rebounds for HPU, which got a team-high three assists from Ralls.

The all-time series between the Panthers and Mountaineers is now even at 9-9.

HPU stays home for a Tuesday night date with another former conference foe (Division II Pfeiffer). Tip-off between the Panthers and Falcons is set for 7:00 pm.

Appalachian State travels to Southern Conference rival Davidson Tuesday for a noon tip.

Photo by Greg Burrow