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The High Point University women's basketball team dropped a 69-56 decision to Central Arkansas in the team's second game of the Bahamas Sunshine Shootout on Tuesday night in Nassau Bahamas. Sophomore Lindsay Puckett led HPU with 12 points off the bench.

"I think we are all disappointed to be leaving with two losses," head coach Jennifer Hoover said. "I do think there were some positives to take out of tonight. If you take out the first eight minutes of the game I feel like we played pretty well and really defended much better. Lindsay Puckett was obviously a bright spot for the weekend. Now the girls will get a couple days off for the holidays before we get back to work on the 26th and prepare for the Virgina Tech tournament."

Senior Shamia Brown had 11 points despite dealing with foul trouble for much of the night while junior Laura Whitt had 10 points and led the team with eight rebounds.

Destinee Rogers led all scorers with 14 points for Central Arkansas including six of the Bears final eight points to hold off a late HPU run.

With the loss, High Point drops to 4-5 on the season while Central Arkansas, the No. 21 team in the Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll, improves to 8-2.

The Panthers trailed by 17, 53-36, with 11:34 remaining in the game but used a 19-7 run to close to within five at 60-55 with 5 minutes left. Puckett keyed the run with seven points including back-to-back jumpers from the right corner while Whitt hit a deep three from the elbow and tricky shot in traffic in the paint.

The comeback by the Panthers ran out of gas though as HPU was unable to pull any closer. UCA outscored High Point 9-1 down the stretch to seal the win.

The two teams traded baskets to start the game and with 17 minutes left in the first half the score was tied at 8-8. Junior Erin Reynolds scored four points and picked up an assist in the opening minutes for the Panthers.

A three pointer by Rogers broke the tie and started a 21-4 run over the next 8:10 which put the Bears up by 17, 29-12, with just under nine minutes remaining. A three pointer from the left elbow by Puckett and a free throw by Brown were HPU's only points in the run.

Two free throws by junior Jazmin Cromartie stopped the bleeding for High Point which managed to close to within 37-25 at the half.

HPU continued to chip into the Bear's lead at the start of the second half, outscoring UCA, 9-4, to pull to within seven, 41-34, in the first five minutes thanks to back-to-back buckets by Brown and a fast-break layup by freshman Ashante Richard.

Following a 30-second timeout, Central Arkansas responded with an 11-1 run of its own to open the lead back to 17 at 52-35 with just under 13 minutes remaining.

High Point will take a few days off for the Holidays before heading to Blacksburg, Va., to play in the Hilton Garden Inn Hokie Classic beginning on Dec. 28. The Panthers will play UMBC in the opening game and either Virginia Tech or Cincinnati in the second game.