ROCK HILL, S.C. – Winthrop women's basketball battled hard against High Point but just fell short, 61-43, Saturday night. The Eagles are now 2-6 overall with a 1-4 conference mark.

WINTHROP (2-6, 1-4 BSC)
KEY CONTRIBUTORS
Anika Riley (12 points, 8 rebounds)
Alexis Sykes (9 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal)
Myra Strickland (7 points, 3 rebounds)
 
HIGH POINT (8-4, 6-1 BSC)
KEY CONTRIBUTORS
Cydney Johnson (16 points)
Jenson Edwards (13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block)
Claire Wyatt (12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block)
Skylar Curran (11 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Madison Ervin wasted no time, recording the first basket of the contest at the 9:39 mark to get Winthrop on the board. High Point responded with a 12-0 run. That spark would be put out off a Myra Strickland-layup. The quarter would end with an 8-2 run for the Panthers. High Point's Skylar Curran was hard to contain from behind-the-arc going 3-of-4 from deep. Winthrop trailed 19-6 after 10 minutes of play.
 
Curran picked up right where she left off with a quick basket to kick start the second quarter. Alexis Sykes responded with her first basket as an Eagle. Winthrop picked up an offensive spark in the second quarter, outscoring the Panthers, 16-14. Anika Riley scored all nine of her first-half points in the second quarter of play.

Both teams got off to a slow start after halftime, remaining scoreless until the 7:20 mark when Anika Riley knocked down 1-of-2 free throws. At the other end, Ervin is called for a foul and High Point's Cydney Johnson made both of her shots from the charity stripe. Winthrop kept chipping away at High Point's lead, cutting it to single-digits, 37-28, with a 6-0 run from a three-point play for Maleeah Langstaff and a clutch 3-pointer at the hands of Alexis Sykes. Myra Strickland would cut High Point's lead to five with 2:58 remaining in the quarter. Tori Hall was fouled and made both of her free throws before Alexis Sykes hit a jumper to make it a four-point game. Jenson Edwards hit a shot with 20 seconds on the clock to give High Point a 43-39 lead going into the fourth quarter.
 
The Panthers came out hot in the fourth quarter holding Winthrop scoreless until the 2:45 mark, while going on a 13-0 run. Sykes scored Winthrop's only basket of the fourth quarter, while Ervin hit two free-throws down the stretch. Winthrop fell to High Point, 61-43.
 
THE NUMBERS

• Winthrop out-rebounded High Point, 39-32.
• The Eagles struggled from behind-the-arc, connecting on just 1-of-18 3-pointers.
• 18 of Winthrop's 43 points came off the bench, with nine of those coming at the hands of Alexis Sykes.
• Winthrop was 16-of-57 from the field, shooting just 28 percent.
• The Panthers were 20-of-46 from the field, shooting 43 percent.
• Winthrop turned the ball over 10 times, resulting in 12 Panther points.
• High Point committed eight turnovers, resulting in 6 Winthrop points.
• The Eagles have been held to single-digits in one quarter of the last five games, two quarters in the last three contests.

 
UP NEXT
Winthrop will look to even the season series when they take on High Point in Game 2 at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 10.