HIGH POINT, N.C. — The High Point University women's basketball team defeated Gardner-Webb University, 73-44, on Friday night inside the Qubein Center.
Site: Qubein Center
Score: High Point 73, Gardner-Webb 44
Records: High Point (18-2, 7-0), Gardner-Webb (6-15, 3-4)
Head Coach Chelsea Banbury: "Good win tonight. Gardner-Webb has a zone that can give a lot of teams trouble. I thought our girls did a good job executing. We finished the game with 18 assists which means we're sharing the ball and moving it around. We shot it pretty well and made 13 threes, so that definitely helped us. The second quarter definitely separated us and we started to make plays and turn that into offense. A lot of that came from Aaliyah [Collins] and Peyton [Gerdes], they were huge in the minutes they gave us tonight and happy to get a win before the storm comes."
The opening quarter was competitive, with Gardner-Webb briefly holding the lead early before High Point settled in. The Panthers closed the first quarter on a late push and carried a 17-14 advantage into the second.
High Point created separation in the second quarter behind improved execution on both ends of the floor. The Panthers held Gardner-Webb to just four points in the quarter while stringing together multiple scoring possessions, building a 38-18 halftime lead
HPU remained in control after the break, extending the margin in the third quarter and continuing to apply pressure defensively. The Panthers outscored the Runnin' Bulldogs 15-14 in the third and put the game away in the fourth, finishing the night with a 20-12 advantage in the fourth quarter.
Aaliyah Collins led High Point with 15 points, while
Macy Spencer added 11 points and
Peyton Gerdes chipped in 13 off the bench. Anna Hager,
Nevaeh Zavala and
Dom Nesland each provided steady production as High Point finished with 40 bench points.
The Panthers shot 44.8 percent from the field, knocked down 13 three-pointers, and forced 24 turnovers, converting them into 27 points.
Up Next: High Point will travel to Charleston Southern University for a Wednesday, January 28 matchup scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. tip.
#H3U x #GoHPU
