November 15, 2003
BOX SCORE
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Charles Stephens/Danville hit a three-point field goal at the buzzer to lift Longwood University past Winston-Salem State University 71-70 in men’s college basketball Saturday night in North Carolina. The exciting season-opening win by the Lancers (1-0) gave first-year head coach Mike Gillian a victory in his first game at the institution. Longwood will play again next Friday, Nov. 21, at Mount Olive College during the first-round of the 38th Pickle Classic hosted by the Trojans.
Stephens, a 6-4 senior All-America candidate, nailed his game-winning three-pointer while fading away from about 23-feet just right of the circle on an in-bounds play under the Longwood basket with just nine-tenths of a second remaining. Winston-Salem State had missed on a pair of free throw attempts with 12.8-seconds left, and the Lancers had missed on a shot attempt in the lane with the ball going out of bounds off the Rams before the decisive in-bounds play and game-winning shot at the end.
The game was close throughout with 11 lead-changes and nine ties, including a 31-31 deadlock at the intermission. Stephens scored seven points in the opening half, but it was a pair of freshmen who kept Longwood in the game early as Maurice Sumter/Alexandria and Michael Jefferson/Chesterfield totaled nine and six points, respectively. Sumter’s points came on 3-3 shooting on three-pointers, including the third trey that gave the Lancers their largest lead of the half at 19-12 (8:17). In the second half, the two teams went back and forth with six of the lead-changes and six of the ties. W-SSU took its largest lead at 57-52 with 6:57 remaining before Longwood made its final run to lead 67-66 at 2:55 on a layup from senior Ryan Earl/Tustin, Calif.. Jefferson then tied the game at 68-68 with a free throw at 1:05, but the Rams went ahead 70-68 with 30-seconds remaining on a shot-clock beating jumper on the baseline, and the Lancers overcame a last-second turnover as well before the final possession.
Jefferson led Longwood with a game-high 22 points in his collegiate debut, adding six rebounds. Stephens finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks, while Sumter had 15 points on perfect 5-5 shooting from beyond the arc. The Lancers shot 58% (25-43) from the field, including 65% (15-23) in the second half, and a torrid 82% (9-11) on three-point field goals while adding 60% (12-20) at the free throw line. Audley Wehner led Winston-Salem State with 20 points, Jay Maynard added 17 points, and Alleggrie Guinn had 15 points. The Rams shot 41% (29-70) from the field, including 29% (5-14) on three pointers, and 54% (7-13) at the line.
