HIGH POINT, N.C. — The High Point University women's basketball team took on the Yale University Bulldogs in an early Saturday afternoon contest. The Panthers defeated the Bulldogs in double-overtime 85-83.
Aaliyah Collins led the way for the Panthers with 23 points. She grabbed another four rebounds and dished out three assists. Nevaeh Zavala finished with a double-double with 21 points and 14 rebounds.
Site: Qubein Center
Score: High Point 85, Yale 83
Records: High Point (11-2), Yale (4-9)
Head Coach Chelsea Banbury: "Oh my gosh, well, we won. Hats off to Yale though. They came in, they played on the road two days ago, got in late and they came in and they played for 50 minutes. Obviously Sonaya Moore is an excellent player, she was able to cause us some problems and make a lot of big shots down the stretch, but fortunately, we did make enough plays. Vay [Nevaeh Zavala] was huge for us down the stretch. She knocked down that big 3, when we were down 1, got to the free throw line, was able to knock down a couple of free throws, and then, she was a beast on the boards, fortunately for us, but, we have to be better. I don't think we executed a game plan very well tonight. Just need to get back to what was making us so good and so hard to go against, in the past."
The Panthers started the game strong offensively in the paint with six quick points from Collins. She also dished out an assist to a cutting Brecken Snotherly, right after Anna Hager drained a three-pointer. HPU took an 11-9 lead before the first timeout. As time winded down Collins went coast-to-coast and scored with just two seconds remaining as both teams were tied at 15 going into the second quarter.
Zavala opened up the second with a three-pointer from the top of the arc and then received a pass from Macy Spencer to get her first five points of the game. Snotherly scored again and then dished a pass out to Peyton Gerdes who got her name into the score book to make it 24-19.
Spencer drained her first three-pointer of the game to give the Panthers a nine point lead with 1:44 to play in the first half. She then hit another shot from deep. The Panthers went into the half up 36-27.
Hager started off the second half for the Panthers converting on a three-point play just as the shot clock ran out. Collins got herself into double figures with a layup. Chana Paxixe was all over the court with six points and a block in the third quarter.
Zavala stopped an 11-2 run from the Bulldogs as the score became 55-52 with six minutes left. Less than a minute later to get to double-digits. Collins added another two baskets. Both the Bulldogs and the Panthers traded multiple field goals as HPU had a 65-61 lead with 90 seconds remaining. The Bulldogs completed the comeback and tied the game up to bring it to overtime at 65.
Spencer opened up OT with a successful pull-up jumper. Collins and Paxixe both added free throws. Paxixe found Zavala with a beautiful pass as the Panthers took a 71-67 lead. Yale kept converting, sending the game into a second overtime tied 73-73.
In the second overtime period, the Panthers took a one-point lead behind a Dom Nesland three-pointer. Later in the quarter, Zavala drained a deep three to give the Panthers an 83-81 lead but Yale tied it up. With 0.5 seconds left, Zavala got fouled and sank both of her free throws as the Panthers pulled away with an 85-83 win.
High Point forced 21 turnovers with 12 steals. The Bulldogs fouled the Panthers a total of 26 times.
UP NEXT: The Panthers will have a little over a week break until its next contest against the UNC Asheville Bulldogs on Wednesday, December 31 at 2:00 p.m.
#H3U x #GoHPU
