HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point forced 33 turnovers and used a 28-8 run midway through the second half to open up what had been a tight game as the Panthers held on to top UNC Greensboro on Saturday, 75-63.
Monique Floyd scored 13 points to lead UNCG (1-2), while Lakiah Hyson had 10 points for the Spartans. Shamia Brown scored a game-high 20 points to lead High Point (2-1).
A pair of Amanda Leigh free throws put UNCG on top 40-39 with 15:24 to play, but High Point was about to take control. The Panthers turned a one-point deficit into a 19-point lead over the next eight minutes, with Brown capping the run with consecutive baskets. Her layup off a Frances Fields' steal on UNCG's inbounds pass made it 67-48 with 7:04 to play. Brown had 10 of her 20 points in the run.
The Spartans refused to go away, though, clawing back to within nine points late in the game. Hyson hit a free throw and Sarah Folwell struck for a 3-pointer from the wing to make it 67-52 before TaShama Banner took over.
The junior from Bladenboro, N.C., had four steals, three offensive rebounds and four points as UNCG made it 69-60 with 3:27 to play. Freshman Brey Dorsett was also instrumental in the run, picking up a steal and hitting four straight free throws to end UNCG's 12-2 spurt.
Brown answered with four straight free throws of her own as High Point pushed its lead back into double digits to stay.
UNCG trailed by as many as 13 in the first half, but solid play from freshmen Amy Clapper and Dayshaun Richbow got the Spartans back in the game. After the Spartans fell behind 17-4 with 14:07 left in the first half, Clapper had all of her career-high eight points in a 23-10 run that evened the game at 27 with 6:07 before the break. The redshirt freshman from Newark, Ohio, showed off impressive range in the run, draining a pair of long-range jumpers.
Hyson capped the run in dramatic fashion, using a spin move in the backcourt to elude a High Point defender before racing in for a pull-up 3-pointer that knotted the score.
Richbow was also clutch in the spurt, getting two of her three first-half steals in the run. On back-to-back possessions, Richbow picked up a steal that led to a pair of Hyson free throws, then grabbed another steal that led to her own fastbreak layup.
The Spartans were plagued by turnovers from the get-go, surrendering the ball on their first five possessions as HPU raced out to an 8-0 lead. UNCG would get four points back quickly, however, taking advantage of consecutive Panther turnovers for an Agne Girstautaite layup and a Kendra Smith jumper to make it 8-4 with just under three minutes elapsed.
Despite its 33 turnovers, UNCG held the advantage in points off turnovers, scoring 29 off 26 High Point miscues. The Panthers scored 27 off the Spartans' turnovers.
High Point's big advantage came from its bench, which contributed 51 points to UNCG's 30.
The Panthers put four players in double figures for the game. In addition to Brown's 20 points, HPU got 13 from Jurica Hargraves, 12 from Amy Dodd and 11 from Erin Reynolds.
The Spartans held Mackenzie Maier, who entered the game leading High Point with 15 points per game, to just four points on four free throws. Maier was 0-for-9 from the floor.
UNCG returns to action on Wednesday when it will face No. 3 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
AGATE
HIGH POINT 75, UNC GREENSBORO 63
UNC GREENSBORO (1-2)
Monique Floyd 5-7 3-5 13; Lakiah Hyson 2-8 5-6 10; Amy Clapper 4-5 0-0 8; Brey Dorsett 1-5 4-4 6; TaShama Banner 1-6 4-6 6; Dayshaun Richbow 2-3 1-1 5; Sarah Folwell 2-4 0-0 5; Kendra Smith 2-4 0-0 4; Amanda Leigh 1-8 2-2 4; Agne Girstautaite 1-3 0-0 2; Sidnei Harmon 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 21-55 19-24 63.
HIGH POINT (2-1)
Shamia Brown 7-10 6-7 20; Jurica Hargraves 4-8 2-2 13; Amy Dodd 4-9 3-4 12; Erin Reynolds 2-5 6-6 11; LaTeisha Dean 3-5 0-0 6; Mackenzie Maier 0-9 4-4 4; Ashlee' Samuels 1-3 1-2 3; Jazmin Cromartie 1-2 0-0 2; Conner Allison 1-1 0-0 2; Laura Whitt 1-2 0-0 2; Frances Fields 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-55 22-25 75.
UNC Greensboro 32 31 63
High Point 35 40 75
3-point goals--UNC Greensboro 2-9 (Lakiah Hyson 1-1; Sarah Folwell 1-2; Brey Dorsett 0-3; Amanda Leigh 0-3), High Point 5-13 (Jurica Hargraves 3-3; Amy Dodd 1-4; Erin Reynolds 1-4; Mackenzie Maier 0-1; LaTeisha Dean 0-1). Fouled out--UNC Greensboro-None, High Point-Frances Fields. Rebounds—UNC Greensboro 33 (Monique Floyd 5; TaShama Banner 5; Amanda Leigh 5), High Point 36 (Amy Dodd 7). Assists--UNC Greensboro 7 (Brey Dorsett 3), High Point 18 (Frances Fields 9). Total fouls--UNC Greensboro 20, High Point 19. Technical fouls--UNC Greensboro-None, High Point-None. A-497 Fouled Out: HPU #13 (3:28, 2nd)
- UNCG -
