HIGH POINT, N.C. — The High Point University women's basketball team used a decisive second quarter and a dominant second half to earn a 70-41 Big South victory over Presbyterian College on Sunday afternoon.
Site: Qubein Center
Score: High Point 70, Presbyterian 41
Records: High Point (20-2, 9-0), Presbyterian (3-19, 1-8)
Head Coach Chelsea Banbury: "Coming into today I wasn't really sure how our girls would respond just because of the weather the last couple of days. Anytime you come into a situation like this, it's a little tricky and I think we showed that to start the game. I think we started a little flat, a little complacent, not necessarily executing what we wanted to on the floor. We had a good third quarter where we created some separation. We just have to be better no matter who our opponent is. I don't think our execution was there but obviously Macy [Spencer] was huge. Anna [Hager] was 6-6 from the free throw line, but 25 turnovers is way too many."
The opening quarter featured multiple lead changes as both teams worked to find rhythm. Presbyterian briefly pulled in front late in the quarter, but High Point closed the frame at the free-throw line to take an 11-10 edge after 10 minutes.
HPU began to create separation in the second quarter behind improved execution on both ends of the floor. The Panthers capitalized on turnovers, pushed the tempo in transition, and strung together stops defensively to extend the lead. A pair of three-pointers from
Macy Spencer, combined with finishes inside from
Aaliyah Collins and
Chana Paxixe, helped High Point outscore Presbyterian 18-9 in the quarter and take a 29-19 lead into halftime.
The Panthers took full control coming out of the break. High Point connected on five three-pointers in the third quarter and forced multiple turnovers, stretching the lead to 17 by the end of the frame. The Panthers continued to apply pressure in the fourth, outscoring the Blue Hose 22-10 to put the game away.
"I obviously wasn't scoring much in the first half." Spencer said. "My teammates were scoring, it's like if they're face guarding me, somebody is going to be open. Or if they're denying me, something's going to work. At the end of the day it's my teammates creating things for me and the ones hitting the shots."
Spencer led all scorers with 18 points, knocking down four three-pointers. Anna Hager added 14 points, four rebounds, three blocks, and two steals.
Dom Nesland finished with 13 points, while
Chana Paxixe chipped in nine.
High Point shot 44.9 percent from the field, forced 26 turnovers, and scored 24 points in the paint.
Up Next: High Point will hit the road to face Winthrop University on Wednesday, February 4 at 6:00 p.m. in Rock Hill, S.C.
#H3U x #GoHPU
