SHELBY, N.C. (Interstat) — Nevaeh Zavala scored 24 points to lead High Point to an 83-53 victory over Gardner-Webb in a Big South Conference women’s basketball game Saturday at Paul Porter Arena. The Panthers (24-4) established control early, opening a 29-10 lead after the first quarter and never relenting. Zavala added six rebounds. Aaliyah Collins contributed 15 points and 11 assists for High Point, while Macy Spencer also scored 15. Nyla Walker led the Runnin’ Bulldogs (11-17) with 12 points. High Point dominated inside with 42 points in the paint and capitalized on mistakes, scoring 28 points off turnovers. An announced crowd of 670 watched as High Point swept the season series, having also won the prior meeting 73-44 last month.

SHELBY, N.C. (Interstat) — The High Point Panthers delivered a dominant wire-to-wire performance Saturday, overwhelming the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs 83-53 in a Big South Conference women’s basketball game at Paul Porter Arena. From the opening tip, the Panthers established a commanding lead they would never relinquish. High Point erupted for 29 points in the first quarter, fueled by a blistering offensive start and stifling defense that set the tone for the afternoon. The Panthers shot 56% from the field in the opening period and forced seven Gardner-Webb turnovers, converting those mistakes into easy transition opportunities. The most important part of the game was unquestionably the first quarter onslaught, which effectively decided the contest before many fans had settled into their seats. High Point scored the game’s first six points and built a 19-point lead by the end of the period. The Panthers’ defensive pressure was relentless, generating 10 steals for the game and leading to 28 points off 19 Gardner-Webb turnovers. Gardner-Webb, by contrast, managed just four points off seven High Point giveaways. Nevaeh Zavala led all scorers with 24 points for High Point, adding six rebounds. The sophomore from Plano, Texas, was instrumental in the early surge, connecting on a trio of three-pointers. Aaliyah Collins of Snohomish, Washington, orchestrated the offense with a double-double, scoring 15 points and dishing out 11 assists. Macy Spencer from Katy, Texas, also scored 15 points, while Brecken Snotherly of Franklinville, North Carolina, contributed 10 points and six rebounds. Gardner-Webb, which struggled to find any offensive rhythm, was led by Nyla Walker’s 12 points. Kayla Martin added 10 points and four rebounds. The Runnin’ Bulldogs shot just 22 of 50 from the field and a frigid 4 of 19 from three-point range. They were also hampered by a stark disparity in ball movement, recording only two assists as a team compared to High Point’s 10. The Panthers’ efficiency was notable. They scored 83 points on 66 possessions, an offensive rating of 125.3, while holding Gardner-Webb to an offensive rating of 80.6 on the same number of possessions. High Point also dominated inside, outscoring Gardner-Webb 42-26 in the paint. With the victory, High Point improved to 24-4 overall and strengthened its position atop the Big South Conference. The Panthers have now won 12 of their last 13 games. Gardner-Webb fell to 11-17 on the season. An announced crowd of 670 watched the contest. The Panthers will look to continue their strong season when they host South Carolina Upstate next Saturday. Gardner-Webb’s next game is on the road Wednesday at South Carolina Upstate.

SHELBY, N.C. (Interstat) — The surging High Point Panthers, boasting one of the nation’s top records, will look to continue their dominant season when they visit the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs in a Big South Conference women’s basketball matchup Saturday at Paul Porter Arena. High Point (23-4) enters on a three-game winning streak, most recently edging UNC Asheville 60-55 on Wednesday. The Panthers have been the class of the conference, with their only league losses coming in overtime to Longwood and at Radford in early February. They have won 10 of their last 12 games. Gardner-Webb (11-16) has found a late-season rhythm, winning four consecutive games to climb in the conference standings. The Runnin’ Bulldogs are coming off a narrow 53-51 road victory at Longwood on Wednesday. This is a rematch of a Jan. 23 meeting in High Point, where the Panthers routed Gardner-Webb 73-44. In that contest, High Point’s Peyton Gerdes scored 13 points in 24 minutes, while Gardner-Webb’s Amina Gray was held to just three points. Gerdes, a key player for the Panthers, is coming off a career-high 20-point performance in 30 minutes against UNC Asheville. Her scoring provides a significant boost for a balanced High Point attack. For Gardner-Webb, Amina Gray has been instrumental during the winning streak, averaging 17.3 points over the last four games. She scored 16 points in the win at Longwood and had a season-high 27 points in a victory over Winthrop on Feb. 7. Containing Gray will be a focal point for the Panther defense. The game pits High Point’s high-powered offense, which has scored 70 or more points 14 times this season, against a Gardner-Webb squad that has relied on stout defense during its streak, holding opponents to an average of 50.8 points in the four wins. A Gardner-Webb victory would mark a stunning season turnaround and bolster its conference tournament seeding, while High Point aims to solidify its hold on first place in the Big South.