| Box Score PDF

• Junior Kaylah Keys paced the offense with 15 points to pass Cheyenne Parker for fifth on the school's Division I scoring list with 1,202 in her career.
• Redshirt-freshman Kennedy Currie posted a season-high nine points on 4-of-4 shooting from the floor.
• The Purple & White get 10 days off for Christmas break before getting back into conference play at Presbyterian on Dec. 29 at 7:00 p.m.
 
ELON, N.C. – The High Point University women's basketball team battled back from a 19-point third quarter deficit, but couldn't complete the comeback in an 80-69 setback at Elon on Saturday.
 
The contest marked the end of the non-conference slate for the Panthers (3-8) who get the next 10 days off for Christmas break. With the win, the Phoenix moved to 7-2 on the season.
 
"I thought our kids faced a lot of adversity today in many ways," head coach DeUnna Hendrix said. "Honestly, I'm proud of their effort and their chemistry and it's really starting to come together for us."
 
Junior Kaylah Keys came off the bench to score 15 points – 10 in the fourth quarter – and pass Cheyenne Parker for fifth on HPU's Division I career scoring list.
 
Meanwhile, freshman Shea Morgan scored 10 points and redshirt-freshman Kennedy Currie added nine – a season high – on 4-of-4 shooting. Altogether, the Purple & White's bench tallied a 45-21 advantage in scoring over the Phoenix's reserves.
 
Sophomore Kat Harris drilled a 3-pointer on the team's second possession before adding a layup to make it 5-4 (7:11). Soon after, freshman Emma Bockrath followed with a transition layup (7-4) before Elon answered with four straight points to take an 8-7 edge (5:21). Davis, then, drilled a trifecta to allow the Panthers to regain the lead (10-8, 4:59).
 
However, the Phoenix used a 21-4 run to build a 29-14 advantage with 8:00 remaining in the first half. From there, the Panthers chipped away outscoring Elon 12-6 over the next six minutes to pull within nine (35-26, 2:05). But the home team posted the final five tallies of the half to take a 40-26 lead into the break.
 
The two squads traded baskets early before consecutive buckets from Currie cut the deficit to 10 (42-32, 7:11). But once again, Elon had the answer going on a 15-6 run to build a 19-point edge (57-38, 4:00). Neither team could make any head way the rest of the quarter as the game headed to the fourth with the Phoenix leading 64-45.
 
Freshman Kyrie' Chandler came out in the fourth quarter and sparked a 12-3 over the first five minutes of the fourth quarter. Chandler scored four points and dished out an assist as the Panthers made it 67-57 with 4:59 to play. After Elon bounced back to regain a 16-point lead (75-59), Keys anchored a 9-2 run with seven quick points (76-68, 1:07). But the comeback came up short as Elon earned an 80-69 victory.  
 
The Panthers have another extended break before Big South Conference play picks up in earnest as HPU travels to Presbyterian on Dec. 29.
 
#GoHPU