Box Score BOX SCORE
Postgame with Tooey Loy

The High Point University women's basketball team kicked off conference play with a 68-56 win over Charleston Southern Saturday afternoon in the Millis Center. The HPU defense held the No. 2 team in the country in three pointers per game to just 4-21 from behind the arc.

“We played a great defensive game tonight,” said head coach Tooey Loy. “They are the No. 2 team in the country in three pointers made per game and holding them to four makes in the game and just one in the first half, that was the difference in the game. We weren't as good offensively as we have been in our last three or four games but defensively we had to have that tonight.”

Freshman Erin Reynolds and junior Amy Dodd each scored 14 points to lead the Panthers who have won four straight and six of their last seven to improve to 8-6 overall and 1-0 in the Big South. The 14 points were a career high for Reynolds who also dished out a career-best five assists.

“We really needed Erin tonight,” Loy said. “Frances [Fields] got into foul trouble early and I think that frustrated her a little, but Erin came off the bench and had her best game of the season. That's what good teams do, when one person struggles you need to find someone else to pick it up and Erin did that tonight. She had a couple steals in the backcourt that led to layups and those are big momentum changers.”

HPU held CSU to just 1-12 shooting while jumping out to an 11-2 lead six minutes into the contest. A quick 5-0 run pulled the Lady Buccaneers to within four, 11-7, but a 15-footer by junior Mackenzie Maier and an old-fashioned three off a steal in the backcourt by Reynolds extended the lead to 16-7 with just under 12 minutes left in the half.

The High Point defense continued to hound Charleston Southern and with just under two minutes remaining in the period the Panthers took an 11-point lead, 30-19, on a Maier three pointer from the left elbow. The Lady Bucs outscored HPU 5-3 in the final one plus minute of the half and the two teams headed for the locker rooms with HPU leading, 33-24.

Shooting woes plagued CSU throughout the first half as the Lady Buccaneers shot just 21.6 percent percent (8-37) from the floor and were 1-11 from behind the arc. HPU blocked eight shots in the opening 20 minutes with three apiece for Maier and senior Ashlee' Samuels. Reynolds had eight points for the Panthers at the break to lead all scorers while Kelsey Wasmer scored seven to pace Charleston Southern.

A 6-0 run by CSU to open the second half pulled the Lady Buccaneers to within three, 33-30, and forced High Point to call a timeout. Coming out of the break, Dodd got to the line twice, sinking all four free throws to push the High Point lead back to seven, 37-30 with just under 17 minutes left in the contest.

The Panthers led by six with just over 14 minutes when a three by junior Jurica Hargraves from the left corner and a jumper in the paint by sophomore Shamia Brown extended the High Point advantage to 44-33.

The Lady Buccaneers managed to pull to within seven, 49-42, but the Panthers responded with an 11-2 run to take a 60-44 lead, its largest of the game to that point, with just under six minutes remaining.

After the HPU lead grew to 17, 64-47, a 9-2 run by CSU pulled the Lady Buccaneers to within 10 with 1:49 left in the game, but two free throws by Dodd with a little more than a minute left sealed the 68-56 win for the Panthers.

Maier finished with 11 points and Hargraves had 10 to join Reynolds and Dodd in double figures. controlled the glass for HPU pulling down a game-best 12 boards in the contest. Maier also tied her career-high with seven blocks in game.

The Lady Buccaneers entered the game averaging 10 three pointers made per game, the second-best total in the country, but managed just four against High Point's suffocating defense. CSU's Katie Tull, the Big South leader in three pointers made, went 0-6 from behind the arc.

Wasmer led all scorers with 17 points for Charleston Southern which fell to 6-6 overall and 0-1 in the Big South with the loss.

The Panthers return to the court on Monday, Jan. 4, when they host Coastal Carolina. Tip-off against the Chanticleers is scheduled for 4 p.m. and the game will be followed by a men's basketball game against UNC Asheville.