Box Score Four players tallied double-digit points as the High Point University women's basketball team held off a late Radford rally to take the 65-55 victory on Saturday afternoon in the Millis Athletic Center. With the win High Point improves to 3-0 in Big South play while Radford falls to 1-1.
Frances Fields led the Panthers (5-9) with 13 points while dishing out six assists. Mackenzie Maier had her first double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds while blocking a career-high six shots. Andrea Tucker also had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Jurica Hargraves added 12 points.
For the Highlanders (2-11) Vandy Pullen had a game high 14 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Taleia Moton added 13 points while Kymesha Alston and Denay Wood had 14 and 10 rebounds, respectively.
Radford opened up the game with a 7-0 run before the Panthers got on the board with a three pointer from Hargraves at the 16:45 mark. The Panthers took the lead to go up 9-8 with 14:20 left in the half off a pair of free throws from Fields. The two teams kept the game close in the first half with three ties and three lead change, but HPU took a one point, 26-25 lead into the break.
Coming out of the intermission Radford jumped out on top with back-to-back baskets, but High Point responded with a 14-4 run to take an eight point 42-34 with 14:22 on the clock. The Panthers were still up by eight (47-39) with just over nine minutes left to go, but the Highlanders would not go away and cut the lead down to four off a three pointer from Pullen with 7:23 remaining.
HPU held off the RU surge to extend its lead to 10, 57-47 with less than five minutes left to play. Radford again went on a run and pulled within three with 1:10 left in the game, but a three pointer from Maier on the next possession pulled the Panthers back on top by six. High Point went 4-of-6 from the line in the final minute to secure the win.
Radford held the 59-53 advantage on the boards. High Point forced 22 Highlander turnovers while only giving the ball up 11 times.
High Point will be back in action on Monday, Jan. 12 when it hosts Gardner-Webb for the first time as a Big South opponent. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. in the Millis Center.