Box Score Sophomore Jurica Hargraves drained 21 points as the High Point University women's basketball team defeated the Big South Regular Season Champion Liberty Flames on Monday in the regular season finale for both teams.
Hargraves tied a season-high with five three pointers in the game. Fellow sophomore Mackenzie Maier added 12 points for HPU (14-15, 10-6 Big South) and tallied five blocked shots. LaTeisha Dean led the Panthers with seven rebounds.
Leading the Flames (21-8, 15-1 Big South) was Megan Frazee with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Avery Warley added 14 points. Moriah Frazee pulled down 10 rebounds.
High Point led through most of the first half, taking an early three point lead, but the Lady Flames tied the game at 10 with 12:19 on the clock. The Panthers regained the lead on the next possession when Hargraves drained on of her career-high tying five three pointers of the game. Liberty tied the game up for the fourth time of the half with 7:24 on the clock, but HPU responded with a 10-3 to take it largest lead of the half, up seven (26-19) with just under two minutes left. The Lady Flames outscored the Panthers 5-2 down the stretch to cut the High Point lead to 28-24 going into the break.
The Panthers came out of the break with to retake a seven point lead, but Liberty responded with a 9-2 run to tie the game at 33 with 16:27 on the clock. HPU and Liberty battled back and forth over the next several minutes with three lead changes and four ties with last coming at 5:20 with 49 showing for both teams. Liberty took a two point lead at the 4:04 mark, but that is the last lead the Flames would see as Maier drained a three pointer on HPU's next possession to give the Panthers the lead for god. High Point forced several Liberty turnovers and held the Lady Flames scoreless in the final four minutes to seal the victory.
Liberty led the battle on the boards pulling down 47 to HPU's 33. High Point forced 20 turnovers, however while just giving the ball up 13 times.
With the win High Point secured the No. 2 seed going in to the Big South Conference Tournament and will face No. 7 seeded UNC Asheville on Friday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m. All rounds of the Big South Tournament will be hosted by High Point University.
