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• Redshirt-senior Stacia Robertson moved into seventh on the Div. I scoring list with 14 points to go with eight rebounds and three blocks
• Sophomore Kaylah Keys chipped in with 12 points and has scored 10 or more points in 28 of her 30 career Big South games.
• High Point will be at home for two games next week. The team has won 13 straight in the Millis Center.
 
RADFORD, Va. – The High Point University women's basketball team went on the road to Radford on Saturday and fell 61-58 in heart-breaking fashion.
 
The Panthers (12-7, 8-2) fell behind by double digits on multiple occasions in both halves to the Highlanders (10-9, 6-3) and fought back, but couldn't get over the hump.
 
"They came out ready to play and I'm not sure that we did," head coach DeUnna Hendrix said afterwards. "We didn't get into an offensive flow early and it's hard to score that way."
 
Sophomore Kaylah Keys tied the game with a pair of free throws with 49 seconds left in the game, but a 3-pointer from Ayana Avery with 30 seconds remaining gave Radford the win.
 
"She's one of the best shooters in the league," Hendrix said of Avery. "We knew that coming in and she was able to get free and hit a big shot."
 
Redshirt-senior Stacia Robertson led the Purple & White with 14 points to move past Erin Reynolds for seventh in the program's Div. I scoring list. The forward pulled down eight boards and blocked three shots in the game.
 
Keys posted 12 points while sophomore Teddy Vincent chipped in with eight points off the bench. Sophomore DeAnneisha Jackson added seven points and seven rebounds in the contest.
 
The Highlanders shot 41 percent from the floor and held the Panthers to 31 percent shooting overall. Radford was able to win the rebounding battle grabbing 41 rebounds while HPU tallied 38. The Purple & White forced 21 turnovers, but were unable to capitalize on enough of its extra possessions.
 
Radford's Aisha Foy hit a pair of free throws to open the scoring, but Robertson scored on the next possession to tie it up at 2-2 just 25 seconds into the contest. Reshirt senior Lindsay Puckett then went on a mini-run of her own, drilling a 3-pointer and converting a transition layup as the Panthers took a 9-4 lead with 17:36 left in the half.
 
However, HPU wasn't able to keep up its scoring pace as the Highlanders went on a 17-2 run to build a 21-11 lead with 6:12 remaining on the first-half clock. Senior Latrice Phelps snapped the run with a jumper at the 5:57 mark and pulled the Panthers within eight points (21-13, 5:57).
 
From there Radford was able to stretch its lead out to 12 on multiple occasions before five quick points from Jackson around a Radford free throw sent the game to the half at 32-24. The Purple & White shot 37 percent from the floor and held the Highlanders to 36 percent. Radford built its halftime lead going 13-of-22 from the line while the Panthers made their lone opportunity from the charity stripe in the half.
 
High Point came out of the locker room hot in the second half. Keys opened the scoring with a 3-pointer and Robertson followed with a 3-point play and another layup to cut the deficit to two (34-32, 16:15). Avery snapped HPU's 8-2 run by scoring eight points in 90 seconds to give Radford a nine-point advantage at 42-33 with 14:33 left in the contest.
 
The Panthers were able to slowly work their way back and after Keys hit two free throws, the game was back within seven at 49-42 with 8:30 left. But once again Radford answered with a 3-pointer, this time it was Claudia Quevedo connecting from down town (52-42, 7:50).
 
After the teams traded baskets, HPU went on a 10-0 run and pulled even when senior Ashante Richard hit a jumper from the left wing (54-54, 4:30). But again, Avery put the Highlanders back on top with her third triple of the afternoon (57-54, 4:14).
 
The Panthers pulled back within one with two free throws by freshman Kat Harris. Then, after Radford split a trip to the line, HPU pulled even with two free throws from Keys (58-58, 0:45). However, Avery knocked down a deep 3-pointer with 30 seconds left to put the Highlanders up 61-58. Keys and Richard missed potential game-tying three-pointers on the final two possessions for HPU to give Radford the win.
 
The Purple & White will begin its second trip around the conference by hosting Coastal Carolina at 7 p.m. on Tuesday inside the Millis Center. The team will be at home again on Saturday at 2 p.m. against Liberty.
 
#GoHPU