Box Score BOX SCORE

The High Point University women's basketball team's season came to a close on Saturday afternoon when the Panthers fell to the No. 1-seeded Liberty Flames by a score of 76-55 in the Big South semifinals at the Millis Center. Junior Shamia Brown finished with 19 points to lead High Point.

“We just didn't have it today,” head coach Tooey Loy said. “We played two games back-to-back as well as we could play them but tonight we couldn't get going. I think there was a feeling going into this weekend that we were going to win this tournament. This team never let down, Liberty was just very good. We didn't execute everything perfectly but the effort was there.”

HPU finishes the season with a 16-15 overall record after falling in the Big South semis for the third-straight year. Liberty improves to 22-9 on the year and will attempt to win its fourth-straight Big South Championship on Sunday against the winner of the game between No. 3 Gardner-Webb and No. 7 Winthrop.

Along with Brown's 19 points, senior Mackenzie Maier shot 6-9 from the floor and 4-6 from three-point range to finish with 16 points and a team-high four assists in her final collegiate game.

Liberty's Avery Warley finished the game with a career-high 28 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 12-14 from the floor for the Flames.

High Point jumped out to an early 5-2 lead as seniors Jurica Hargraves and Amy Dodd each hit a mid-range jumper on HPU's first two possessions. The Flames then used a stiff defense to go on a 20-6 run, taking a 22-11 lead with 9:12 left in the first half.

The Panthers pulled back to within four at 22-18 with 7:17 left, scoring seven quick points on a three by Maier and back-to-back baskets by Brown. A switch to a larger lineup allowed HPU to slow down the Flames High Point played all three post players, Brown Maier and freshman Cheyenne Parker together, limiting Liberty's chances in the paint.

A three by Maier cut the Liberty lead to just one at 25-24 with 4:18 left in the period, but the Flames closed the half on an 11-2 run to take a 36-26 lead into the break. Maier scored eight points to lead HPU in the first half. Warley led all scorers with 14 points on 7-8 shooting for LU.

High Point trailed the Flames by eight, 48-40, with just under 15 minutes left in the contest when Liberty's Tolu Omotola connected on a jumper from the just shy of the foul line to start an 11-1 run which gave LU a 59-41 lead with 11 minutes remaining. The Panthers were held without a field goal during the run, scoring all three points from the foul line.

Liberty continued to build its lead in the second half, going up by as much as 25, 71-46, with 6:29 remaining before ultimately winning, 76-55.

The loss marks the final game for the four seniors on the HPU roster: LaTeisha Dean, Amy Dodd, Jurica Hargraves and Mackenzie Maier. All four players finished their career in the top 10 in HPU DI career scoring with Hargraves holding the record at 1,340 points.

“It is never easy when the season ends, especially when you are losing four quality student-athletes and people,” head coach Tooey Loy said. “These four have done everything I have asked of them for four years. We will miss these four. They are great people and they will go on to do great things. They are leaving a mark here at High Point.”