• High Point wins the 2018-19 opener over N.C. Central, 80-69
• Senior Emma Bockrath (22) and junior Camryn Brown (20) combine for 42 points
• Senior Bria Gibson logged a double-double (11 points and 11 rebounds) in her High Point debut
 
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University women's basketball defeated North Carolina Central 80-69 Friday (Nov. 9) in the Millis Center.
 
The Panthers (1-0, 0-0) took a 49-34 lead over the Eagles (0-1,0-0) into halftime. N.C. Central came back to cut the lead to 72-67 with 1:57 to play in game. Junior Camryn Brown responded by scoring eight straight points for the Panthers to finish off the 80-69 win.
 
High Point shot 41.8 percent from the field (28-67), while N.C. Central shot 37.7 percent (23-61). The Purple & White recorded 15 assists and shot 39.1 percent from three, while the Eagles logged seven assists and shot 25.0 percent from behind the arc. N.C. Central held a 45-38 advantage on the boards.
 
"Tonight was fun," associate head coach Heather Kearney said. "Those first game jitters got the best of us at times. But I think we had a lot of leadership in our juniors and seniors that really were impactful down the stretch. It was obviously a good win. We protected our home court. It was a good way to start things out."
 
Senior Emma Bockrath led the Panthers in scoring with 22 points followed by Brown with 20. Senior Bria Gibson recorded her first double-double in a High Point uniform with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Gibson led the Panthers in rebounding.
 
Four Panthers, Brown, Gibson, junior Miya Bull and senior Lindsey Edwards, logged three steals. HPU had 15 steals as a team.  
 
High Point opened the second quarter with an 11-2 run to take a 22-point lead (35-13) with 6:29 to play in the quarter. The Eagles responded with a 6-0 run and cut the lead to 49-34 at the break.
 
HPU outscored N.C. Central 30-28 in the paint and 18-7 on fast breaks.
 
Paulina Afriyie, who had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Kieche White, who added 10 points and 10 rebounds, led the Eagles.
 
Up next, the Panthers will host Mars Hill on Wednesday (Nov. 14). Tip-off at the Millis Center is set for 7:00 p.m.
 
#GoHPU