Box Score BOX SCORE

Senior Ashlee' Samuels scored 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the High Point University women's basketball team wrapped up its non-conference schedule with an 81-71 win over Mercer on Monday night in the Millis Center.

“I thought we beat a very good team who has a great player in Courtney Ford,” said head coach Tooey Loy. “She had 29 points against us tonight but she needed 25 shots to get those 29. I thought that offensively we were very good tonight and I think defensively we showed a little bit of the signs of four days off, we need to be a little stronger defensively as we head into conference play. That is a win against a good team and we are glad to have it.”

Samuels led HPU in both scoring and rebounding to record her second double-double of the season. In all four players finished the game in double figures as juniors LaTeisha Dean and Mackenzie Maier each finished with 14 points and junior Jurica Hargraves added 12. Junior Frances Fields flirted with a triple double in the contest, scoring eight points, dishing out seven assists and tying a career-high with nine rebounds.

“When this team is good that is what is going to happen,” said Loy. “We really share the ball and get good looks and when we do that we are going to be good offensively. We have a lot of players who can really score the ball if they are in the right positions on the floor. We are starting to really learn how to play with each other and offensively we are really good right now.”

The Panthers took an early 14-6 lead in the game, limiting Mercer to just two three pointers in the opening six minutes of the contest. Dean scored HPU's first five points in the game with a layup and a three pointer. The Bears shot just 2-9 to start the game and had three turnovers.

High Point still lead by eight, 27-19, with just under six minutes in the half when a jumper by Samuels sparked a 12-4 run by the Panthers. The surge pushed the HPU lead to 39-23, its largest lead of the first half, with two minutes left until halftime.

Mercer closed the half on an 8-0 run but HPU took a 39-31 lead into the locker rooms at the half. Dean led the Panthers with 10 points while Samuels had eight points and a game-best nine rebounds. Courtney Ford led all scorers with 16 points at the break to pace the Bears.

Neither team was able to take control of the game in the second half and with just under two minutes left in the game, High Point still led by 9, 74-65. Samuels scored four quick points to start the half for the Panthers and Hargraves connected three times from behind the arc but High Point struggled to slow down Ford, who scored 10 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out three assists in the second period.

After a Ford layup cut the HPU lead to seven, 74-67, Mercer began to foul in an attempt to get back into the game, but the Panthers went 7-9 from the line over the final minute and a half to earn the 81-71 win.

High Point shot at least 50 percent (8-16) from behind the arc for the second straight game, improving to 7-6 on the season with the win.

Ford finished with 29 points and 14 rebounds for Mercer who fell to 4-6 on the year.

The Panthers open conference play on Saturday, Jan. 2, when they host Charleston Southern. Tip-off against the Lady Buccaneers is scheduled for 4 p.m.