Box Score BOX SCORE

The High Point University women's basketball team battled back from a 15-point second- half deficit to tie the game at the buzzer before ultimately falling to Radford University in overtime, 68-63, on Monday evening in Radford, Va.

Down two with just 0.6 seconds left, High Point had the ball on the sideline with one chance to tie the game. Senior Frances Fields inbounded the ball and sent a high pass towards the post where freshman Cheyenne Parker rose above the crowd to tap the ball in at the buzzer.

High Point built a five-point lead early in the overtime, but with 1:22 left in the extra period the Highlanders achieved a rare five-point possession when a foul was called off the ball as RU's Erica Rivera connected on a three. Kahealan Vick stepped to the line and hit both free throws to tie the game at 63. The possession started a 10-0 run by Radford to finish the game as the Highlanders claimed the 68-63 win.

“We came out flat tonight and put ourselves in a huge hole,” head coach Tooey Loy said. “We have done it three years in a row here. We battled back but we didn't get the breaks in overtime. To beat good teams on their court you have to play 40 minutes and we didn't do that tonight.”

Fields led HPU with 15 points and four assists in the game while Da'Naria Erwin-Spencer led all scorers with 24 points for Radford.

The Panthers fall to 7-9 overall and 1-2 in the Big South with the loss while Radford improves to 6-10 overall and 3-0 in the Big South.

High Point struggled on offense to start the game and trailed 23-6 with 7:30 left in the first half after a 17-0 run by the Highlanders. The Panthers hit just two of their first 15 shots from the field and turned the ball over 11 times. HPU was held scoreless for 9:34 as Radford built its lead.

Senior Amy Dodd hit two free throws and a lay-up to break the scoreless streak, pulling High Point to within 13 at 23-10. The points sparked a small 9-4 burst by High Point to end the half as the Panthers managed to claw to within 12, 27-15, at the break.

The Panthers shot just 5-28 (17.9 percent) from the field and were held to just one three pointer after connecting on 10 against UNC Asheville. HPU also finished the half with 14 turnovers. Dodd led High Point with six points at the break.

The Panthers still trailed by 11 points, 51-40, with just under five minutes left in regulation when HPU went on a 14-4 run to pull back within one with 15 seconds left in the game. Fields and Parker each connected on two free throws to start the run for HPU who scored eight of the 14 points from the line.

After a Da'Naria Erwin-Spencer free throw pushed the Radford lead to two, 56-54, sophomore Erin Reynolds missed a go-ahead three pointer but the ball was rebounded by Fields, giving HPU a second chance to tie the game.

Reynolds and junior Shamia Brown joined Fields in double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively. Parker led HPU with 10 rebounds on the night and tied her career high with six blocks. It was the second-straight game in which Parker has blocked six shots.

High Point returns home on Saturday, Jan. 15, when the Panthers will play host to defending Big South Regular Season Champion Gardner-Webb at 4 p.m. HPU was swept by Gardner-Webb last season, including a 74-66 defeat in the Millis Center.