Site: High Point, N.C. (Millis Center)
Score: Liberty 76, High Point 66
Records: LU 4-3 (0-0 ASUN), HPU 2-3 (0-0 Big South)
Next HPU Event: Saturday, December 19 -- vs. UNC Asheville (Millis Center, High Point, N.C.) 2 p.m.
 
HIGH POINT, N.C. -- The non-conference portion of the High Point University women's basketball schedule came to a close Wednesday evening (Dec. 16) with a 76-66 loss to Liberty University. The Panthers made 13 triples in the game, but a slow start offensively proved to be an obstacle HPU couldn't quite overcome, despite staying within striking range the majority of the game.
 
"I thought Liberty played well and played hard," head coach Chelsea Banbury said after the game. "They're a good team and there were portions of the game I thought we competed but overall, I don't think we executed well - and that starts in practice. We need to play with more pace in practice and compete at that level if we want to be a good team. It was a good learning lesson for us but Liberty is good and it was a good test for us going into conference. We have to learn from it and get better and understand the pace that you have to play at and how hard you have to play to compete and beat a good team."
 
The game started slow, with both teams shooting below 40% and turning the ball over five times each. It took almost four minutes for the Panthers to hit from the floor, and it was the Edwards show when the offense started clicking. Junior Jordan Edwards knocked down a catch-and-shoot triple off a pass from redshirt sophomore Jenson Edwards with 6:01 showing on the clock for HPU's first field goal and then hit her second triple of the game 90 seconds later to make it a two-point game before the media timeout.
 
Liberty connected on four straight free throws coming out of the break before Jordan returned the favor to Jenson later in the half for Jenson's first three points of the day and then Jordan got space inside for a layup late in the quarter. Jordan's layup with 31 seconds showing on the clock was High Point's only non-triple attempt of the opening 10 minutes, going 3-12 from deep and trailing, 14-18, after one.
 
High Point continued to attack from behind the arc in the second quarter, with sophomore Callie Scheier connecting from deep just under two minutes into the quarter. Scheier assisted Claire Wyatt on a triple for the freshman and then Scheier knocked down her second of the quarter less than a minute later to pull the Panthers to within two, 25-23, after trading triples with the Lady Flames.
 
The Panthers' offense went cold midway through the quarter, going on an 0-6 stretch while the visitors rattled off a trio of layups inside to build their largest lead of the half, 31-23. Jenson Edwards stopped the run with a jumper from the right elbow with just over a minute remaining in the half in what proved to be the final points of the opening 20 minutes, with Liberty leading 31-25.
 
Both teams shot better in the second quarter than the first, with the Lady Flames outshooting the Purple and White 42.3% to 32.0% in the opening half. Liberty also dominated on the interior, outscoring HPU 18-2 in the paint over the first two quarters and scoring nine points on second chances.
 
After a turnover from each team to start the second half, Jenson Edwards knocked down a wide-open triple on a pass from junior Skyler Curran to pull the Panthers within three. Curran followed with a pair of free throws for her first points of the night, bridging the gap between four misses from the floor from the Purple and White that saw Liberty's lead increase back up to eight.
 
Senior Chyna McMichel ended the drought for High Point after muscling her way to an offensive board and getting the second-chance points. The Panthers got a stop defensively and then found redshirt freshman Cydney Johnson behind the line for a triple that pulled HPU back to within three halfway through the third.
 
High Point's offense slumped again after Johnson's triple, going four minutes between field goals as part of an 0-5 stretch. Jordan Edwards hit a pair of shots from the stripe while down 12 to keep the Panthers alive, sparking a mini-run from HPU at the end of the quarter. High Point scored three of the last four baskets of the third, to go on a 9-3 stretch to make it a two-possession game, 50-44, heading into the fourth.
 
The Panthers just couldn't quite find a way to break through Liberty's defense in the fourth, cutting the deficit to three once more after a pair of free throws from Curran with five-and-a-half to go. That was as close as HPU got for the remainder of the game as the Lady Flames pulled away late to win by double digits, 76-66.
 
Three Panthers finished in double digits in the game, led by Jenson Edwards' 19 points. Jordan Edwards and Curran each scored 15 and McMichel led the way on the glass with eight rebounds. Thanks to a triple from Curran with 40 seconds left that gave HPU 65 points on the day, the Panthers have now scored 261 points in their last three games, the most in three consecutive games in program history.
 
High Point now turns its attention to the Big South portion of its schedule, opening the conference slate up this weekend with a pair of games against UNC Asheville. The action starts Saturday (Dec. 19) at 2 p.m., with Sunday's game (Dec. 20) scheduled to tip at the same time.