Box Score BOX SCORE

Junior Amy Dodd scored a career-high 28 points to lead High Point to a 77-63 win over UNC Asheville on Monday night in Asheville, N.C. The Panthers improve to 13-7 overall and 6-1 in the Big South with the win, their third straight and ninth in 10 games.

“We played a great basketball game tonight,” said head coach Tooey Loy. “We were focused going in to the game and played with a lot of intensity. Our defense was really good and when we play good defense we are able to get out in transition and make great plays in transition. We were just a really good team tonight.”

Dodd shot 10-15 in the game and 4-6 from behind the arc to break her previous career high of 18 which scored against Livingstone College in 2007. She also grabbed five rebounds and picked up four steals. The 28 points are the most scored by any active High Point University women's basketball player in a single game.

“Amy Dodd had a heck of a game,” said Loy. “She knocked down her open shots and she was hot so we kept finding her. It was exactly what you want to see with her coming off two bad performances. She has had a great year for us and I think she just got refocused after Saturday night. I am happy for Amy and I hope we see a lot more of that this year.”

The Bulldogs took the first lead of the game on a bank shot as the shot clock expired to go up 2-0 but High Point responded with an 11-4 run to take a five-point lead, 11-6, just under five minutes into the game. Dodd scored the Panthers' first five points with a three from the left elbow and a layup.

Asheville pulled to within three on a layup by Chioma Okoli but a three from freshman Erin Reynolds and two free throws by Dodd pushed the High Point lead to eight, 16-8, with 14 minutes left in the first half.

The Panthers still led by eight, 25-17, with nine minutes left in the half when a 6-2 run by UNC Asheville cut the Panther lead to just four, 27-23, with just over five minutes remaining in the half. But Dodd continued her hot shooting with a three from the left side and a 12-foot runner to end the Bulldog run and extend the Panthers lead back to nine, 32-23.

After Asheville pulled to within six, 32-26, with two minutes left in the half, High Point closed the period on a 10-0 run to take a 42-26 lead into the break. Junior Mackenzie Maier scored the first five points of the run on a three from the left baseline and a short jumper.

Dodd led all scorers at the break with 17 points for the Panthers while Lindsey Montgomery had 10 points and six rebounds for UNC Asheville.

Junior Jurica Hargraves came out hot to start the second half, outscoring the Bulldogs all on her own 8-3 with two free throws and two three pointers to extend HPU's lead to 50-29. 

After a timeout by the Bulldogs, HPU continued to press its advantage as Dodd connected on a three from the right side and junior Frances Fields hit two free throws to make the score 55-29.

The Panthers continued to extend its lead and a jumper from just inside the arc by junior LaTeisha Dean gave high Point a 30-point lead, 61-31 with 15 minutes left in the contest.

A 9-1 run by UNC Asheville cut the High Point lead to 22, 62-40, but High Point refused to let the Bulldogs back into the game as Dodd hit a layup in the paint and sophomore Shamia Brown hit a short bank shot to make the score 66-40 with just under 13 minutes left in the game.

With plenty of time left, Asheville went on a 17-6 run cut the High Point lead to 15, 72-57 with just four minutes left in the game.

Six-straight free throws by HPU curbed the Bulldog run and allowed High Point to lock up the 77-63 win.

Hargraves and Fields joined Dodd in double figures in the game with 14 and 10 points respectively. Dean and senior Ashlee' Samuels each grabbed six rebounds to lead High Point. 

As a team, HPU had 17 assists on 25 made baskets. Maier led the team with four assists and six different players recorded at least two assists in the contest.

Montgomery finished with 15 points and 18 rebounds to lead UNC Asheville. The Bulldogs fall to 6-14 overall and 1-6 in the Big South.

The Panthers wrap up the first half of conference play on Saturday at 4 p.m. when they return home to play defending Big South champion Liberty. Last season, HPU was the only Big South team to beat the Flames, picking up a 58-53 win in the Millis Center.