Box Score BOX SCORE
Panther Podcast
Freshman
Erin Reynolds hit a game-tying three at the end of regulation and the High Point University women's basketball team went on to pick up a 68-65 win in overtime over sixth-seeded Winthrop in the Big South quarterfinals on Friday night.
“What a basketball game, no one should have lost that game,” head coach Tooey Loy said. “Winthrop was as good as I have seen them all year and I thought we were good. Both teams really dug in defensively and nothing came easy. In the play at the end of regulation,
Amy Dodd made a great pass to Mackenzie and she made a great pass to Erin. We need to get some rest now and get ready for Liberty tomorrow.”
High Point trailed by three with just three seconds remaining in regulation when Reynolds took a hand-off at midcourt from junior
“The play was something that coach drew up in the huddle,” Reynolds said. “When he drew it I just had in my mind that I didn't want to let my team down. Coach drew the play up for me to take the last shot so that made me feel like he really believed in me. I got a good look at it and shot it.”
In the extra period sophomore Shamia Brown put HPU up, 63-60, with three-straight free throws, but five-straight Winthrop points on a three from the right elbow Jessica Fansler and a layup by All-Big South first-teamer Shanice Cole gave the Eagles a 65-63 lead with 2:25 remaining in the extra period.
Down 2 with less than a minute left, junior Jurica Hargraves connected on a straightaway three to give HPU the 66-65 lead. After a missed jumper by Fansler, Maier grabbed the rebound and was fouled. She hit one of two free throws to put the Panthers up two, 67-65, with 25 seconds remaining.
Fansler got an open look at a three from the left elbow but overshot the hoop and junior Amy Dodd was fouled after corralling the rebounds. Dodd hit the front end and a last second heave by the Eagles fell short giving High Point the 68-65 win.
Brown led High Point with 15 points and 14 rebounds and both Maier and junior Jurica Hargraves finished in double figures with 10 points each for HPU which improves to 17-13 with the win.
Cole had a double-double with a game-high 30 points to go along with 12 rebounds for Winthrop. The Eagles finish the season with a 13-18 record.
The Panthers scored the first five points of the game on a three by junior LaTeisha Dean and a 15-footer by Dodd before Winthrop responded with six of its own to jump ahead by one, 6-5, three and a half minutes into the action.
The lead swung back and forth between the Eagles and Panthers before Brown hit a short jumper and Dodd stole the ball on the next possession and went coast-to-coast to put HPU up, 11-8, with a little under 15 minutes left in the half.
High Point led by four, 22-18, with five minutes left in the half when Hargraves hit a baseline jumper and Reynolds stole the ball from Winthrop's Kathi Ryska at midcourt and went in for the layup for extend the Panther's lead to eight, 26-18.
The two teams traded baskets over the final four minutes of the half with the Panthers carrying a 33-26 lead into the locker rooms at the break. Junior Frances Fields, Dean and Hargraves all had five points for HPU in the opening half while WU's Shanice Cole led all scorers with 12 points.
Winthrop slowly chipped away at the High Point lead in the second half and with 9:57 left in the game a layup by WU's Chanel White gave the Eagles a 44-42 lead, their first lead since early in the first half.
Down 2 with just under five minutes remaining, Maier connected on an old-fashioned three-point play and Brown had a steal and a coast-to-coast layup to give HPU a 51-48 lead. The Eagles answered right back with six-straight points to go up 3, 54-51, with 1:36 left.
The Panthers managed to pull within one twice in the final minute but each time Cole went two-for-two from the line to keep the WU advantage at three.
High Point will return to action at the Millis Center tomorrow at 3 p.m., when the Panthers will play No. 2 Liberty. LU swept the season series between the two teams, winning 75-62 in High Point, N.C., and 73-48 in Lynchburg, Va.
