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The High Point University women's basketball team had a double-digit lead less than four minutes into the game and cruised to an 89-49 victory over UNC Asheville on Saturday afternoon at the Millis Center. The Panthers were led by senior Shamia Brown, who scored 17 points with eight rebounds.

"We were really excited to be be back in Millis and pick up the win," head coach Jennifer Hoover said. "Our last game here was Pitt so I reminded our kids before hand that we had to come out with the same intensity. To do that and start out conference play with a win, I was very proud of the team tonight."

High Point improved to 6-6 overall and 1-0 in the Big South while Asheville dropped to 4-8 and 0-1. It was the Panthers' largest margin of victory this season and largest gap since beating the Bulldogs by 48 (106-58) on March 6, 2011.

Sophomore Lindsay Puckett scored 16 points and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds to come in just behind Brown. Puckett has averaged 12.4 points in the last five games. Junior point guard Erin Reynolds scored 15 points on 6-for-9 field-goal shooting.

UNC Asheville was led by Shonese Jones, who scored a game-high 19 points. Lindsey Thompson was the only other Bulldog in double-digits with 11 points and Kelli Riles grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.

It took nearly two minutes for the first bucket of the game, a layup by Reynolds, but the Panthers had pulled out to a 15-2 lead in the next three minutes and never looked back. Puckett hit a three-pointer on her first shot as part of a 13-0 run, continuing her hot streak. The Panthers led 20-6 when Brown hit a pair of free throws and were up 30-10 on Taylor Wimbish's second trey.

High Point continued to pour it on in the first half, leading by 20 again (37-17) when Reynolds stole the ball for a breakaway layup. The Panthers finished the half with their largest lead at 46-24. Asheville's Shonese Jones scored nine points in the first half and was the only Bulldog to hit more than two baskets.

The Panthers continued to dominate in the second half, stretching their lead to 32 (64-32) when Puckett drained a three-pointer from the corner with less than 15 minutes to go. The Panthers kept their lead over 30 points for the final 7:25 and led by 43 points twice in the last two minutes. Asheville cut it to an even 40 when Thompson hit a three-pointer with a minute to go.

The Panthers are back in action with another double-header on Monday, facing off against Gardner-Webb at 4 p.m. The HPU men's basketball team plays Charleston Southern at 7 p.m. that night.