HIGH POINT, N.C. -
Faith Price and
Nevaeh Zavala both recorded season-highs in points to help lead the High Point women's basketball team to a 76-55 conference win over Presbyterian on Wednesday night.
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Site: Qubein Center
Score: High Point 76, Presbyterian 55
Records: High Point (8-9, 3-1), Presbyterian (11-9, 2-3)
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Head Coach Chelsea Banbury: "I am really happy that we got away with a win tonight. I think we had a better start tonight than we have in a long time. Forced her (coach Alaura Sharp) to call a timeout, got out ahead early so I was happy with that because that is something we have definitely been emphasizing… I am happy. I think we are starting to play a lot better, and starting to play together and have fun so I am happy with this one."
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High Point forced four turnovers, two from
Nakyah Terrell, within the first four minutes of tip-off which helped the Panthers jump out to an early 10-2 lead.
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Aaliyah Collins earned herself an early block and steal to help set the tone on the defensive side of the ball for the Panthers the rest of the game.
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HPU scored 14 of its 18 points in the paint, and held Presbyterian to eight first-quarter points, and a lead of 10 heading into the second.
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"We came out fast, and we needed that because the previous game we started off slow so that quick start gave us the head start," Price said
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Price found her rhythm in the first quarter and that carried into the second as she recorded 12 points on a perfect 4-4 shooting from the court overall, and 3-3 from the 3-point line at the end of 20 minutes.
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Price's perfect shooting from the court was a huge part in High Point's 35-24 lead at halftime.
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HPU's momentum from the first half carried right into the second thanks to a pair of baskets from Price and
Lauren Bevis, and two steals on the defensive side from Anna Hager.
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An electrifying chase-down steal from Collins with 4:28 remaining in the 3rd quarter showed the hustle and grit that the Panthers were playing with tonight.
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Zavala made her presence known in the 3rd quarter as she recorded seven points to push HPU's lead to 11, 53-42.
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Price's hot hand continued in the 4th quarter as she recorded seven points to put her up to a game and season-high of 21 points on a perfect 7-7 shooting from the court overall, and 4-4 from the 3-point line.
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To go along with Price's seven points, Bevis contributed with five points herself in the 4th quarter as she finished the game with 13 points.
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HPU's bench came up huge tonight and especially in the fourth quarter as they scored 38 of the team's 76 total points which included 11 from Zavala, nine from
Bukky Akinsola, and eight from
Callie Scheier.
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"Every night seems to be someone different. When someone gets a chance if they are playing well then I kind of go with them. We are deep and it has been different people every night… We have a lot of good players and we have a lot of people that can contribute in different ways," Banbury said.
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High Point closed out the game with their best quarter as they outscored Presbyterian in the fourth, 23-13.
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While HPU shot the ball terrifically from the floor, 56.9 percent from the court overall and 47.1 percent from the 3-point line, it was the defense from the Panthers that helped them secure the win, 76-55, as HPU forced 22 turnovers and held Presbyterian to 39.6 percent shooting from the court overall and 27.3 percent from the 3-point line.
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"Our pressure disrupted them. We were trying to chase their shooters off the 3-point line, and they have a lot of good shooters and we did not want them to get going early. Taking them out of what they usually get I think frustrated them," Banbury said.
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High Point has been playing some really good basketball and that was evident tonight as the Panthers extended their winning streak to three games.
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Up Next: High Point will head to Charleston, S.C. to take on the Charleston Southern Buccaneers on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 2 p.m.
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#H3U x #GoHPU
