Box Score BOX SCORE

A late comeback by the High Point University women's basketball team fell short as the Panthers dropped an 80-72 decision to Charleston Southern on Monday night in Charleston, S.C. HPU managed to pull to within two with less than two minutes remaining but the Lady Buccaneers managed to hold on for the win.

“We just came out flat tonight,” head coach Tooey Loy said. “We missed a lot of defensive assignments early and allowed their two best players to get going. They had great games and made some tough shots late. We need to do a better job at the defensive end which is something we had been doing in our last three games.”

Freshman Cheyenne Parker picked up her third double-double of the season with 15 points and 14 rebounds while junior Shamia Brown tied Parker with a team-best 15 points for HPU. Charleston Southern's Katie Tull and Kelsey Wasmer combined for 52 of the Lady Buccaneers' 80 points with each scoring 26 on the night.

High Point falls to 10-11 overall on the season and finishes the first round of Big South play with a 4-4 conference mark. Charleston Southern improved to 10-11 overall and 4-4 in the Big South.

Charleston Southern opened the game hot from three-point range, connecting on its first four-point shots to take an early 17-8 lead six minutes into the game. Parker scored four of High Point's first eight points from the blocks to help keep the Panthers in the game.

With High Point trailing by eight, 26-18, sophomore Erin Reynolds connected for baskets on back-to-back trips down the court to start a 20-3 run which put the Panthers up by nine, 38-29, with 1:28 left in the first half. Reynolds hit a floater from the right side of the lane and then connected a pull-up 15 footer to spark the run for HPU which scored 10 of its 20 points in the paint.

High Point maintained a seven-point lead, 40-33, at halftime with Brown and Parker combining for 18 of the Panthers' points. Parker also pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds in the first half, securing her fourth double-digit rebounding game in Big South play.

After starting the half shooting 7-15 from the floor and 5-5 from three-point range, CSU was limited to just 3-16 shooting from the floor and 0-6 from the behind the arc over the final 11-plus minutes of the half.

High Point came out cold in the second half and after trading baskets through the first three minutes of the period the Lady Buccaneers used a 13-3 run to take a three-point lead, 50-47, with just under 13 minutes left in the game. HPU shot just 3-11 to start the second half to allow Charleston Southern back into the game.

The Lady Buccaneers lead continued to grow and with just under eight minutes left in the game a mid-range jumper by Tull put Charleston Southern up 11, 68-57. Sixteen of Charleston Southern's second-half points came on second chance opportunities as High Point was out-rebounded 17-5 through the first 12 minutes of the half.

Down 12 with 6:47 left, High Point began to slowly pull back into the game using a 13-3 run to get to within two, 74-72, with 1:58 remaining in the contest. Brown and Parker combined for nine of the Panthers' 13 points as HPU clawed back into the game.

Unfortunately HPU was unable to get any closer as Wasmer connected on a three on Charleston Southern's next possession and the Lady Buccaneers scored to final six points of the game to secure the 80-72 win.

Senior Frances Fields finished with 11 points on the evening and Reynolds finished with 10 to join Parker and Brown in double figures for the Panthers.

High Point returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 5, when the Panthers wrap up a three-game road trip in Lynchburg, Va., against the Flames of Liberty University. HPU will attempt to even the season series against Liberty after losing, 68-60, in the Millis Center in early January.