March 2, 2005

BOX SCORE

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University dropped a season-ending 54-50 men’s basketball decision to visiting Utah Valley State College Wednesday night in Willett Hall. UVSC’s Sylvester Allison came off the bench to lead the Wolverines (15-12) with a game-high 16 points in 24 minutes, while LU sophomore Michael Jefferson/Chesterfield (Meadowbrook) finished with a double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Lancers (1-30). Longwood completed its first full NCAA Division I campaign with a school-record 19 consecutive losses, after its only win past Howard University, 75-69, back on December 18.

Longwood and Utah Valley State battled closely throughout the 40 minutes as there were six lead-changes and four ties, and neither team took more than a seven-point lead. The visitors scored the game’s first basket before the Lancers used a 15-7 run to take their largest lead of the game at 15-9 with 14:13 left in the first half when sophomore Husein Pistoljevic/Richland, Wash. (Hanford) made a three-pointer. The Wolverines fought back with a 9-2 run to lead 18-17 at 11:42 but LU scored seven unanswered points to lead 24-18 with 7:55 left in the period. The visitors, however, closed the half with a 10-2 run to lead 28-26 at the intermission as Allison hit a jumper at the buzzer.

Utah Valley State increased its lead to 34-29 at 15:37 on a three-pointer from Ronnie Price, the nation’s second-leading scorer at 24.8 points, though Longwood limited the senior All-America candidate to just 12 points on 4-20 shooting. The Lancers again rallied back in front with six-straight points, taking the lead at 35-34 on a layup from Jefferson with 11:40 remaining. The Wolverines, though, scored eight unanswered points to take their largest lead at 42-35 with 7:49 on the clock. Allison had five of the points, including a three-pointer, during the 8-0 run.

Longwood closed to within two points at 42-40 with 5:22 left on a basket inside from junior Chad Kosmo/Northport, Maine (Maine Central Institute), but Price nailed another three-pointer at 3:05 for a 48-42 UVSC advantage. A three-pointer from Jefferson with 53-seconds remaining pulled the Lancers to within 50-47, but the Wolverines got another jumper from Allison at 0:37, and a pair of free throws by David Heck with 20-seconds left secured the outcome. Pistoljevic connected on another three-pointer at the buzzer for the final 54-50 margin.

Jefferson’s double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds was his second of the season, adding four assists and three steals, while Kosmo finished a career-high 11 rebounds along with seven points for Longwood. Sophomore Maurice Sumter/Alexandria (T.C. Williams) had eight points, while Pistoljevic added six points on the two three-pointers. Freshman Lamar Barrett/Providence, R.I. (St. Andrew’s) contributed six points and eight rebounds. LU shot 34% (21-62) from the field, including 21% (3-14) on three-pointers, and 56% (5-9) at the line.

Allison’s 16 points included 6-9 from the field, including 3-4 three-pointers, for Utah Valley State. Price finished with 12 points and eight rebounds for the Wolverines, though he had scored 36 points in his most recent contest, while Heck added nine points and eight rebounds. UVSC shot 33% (20-61) from the field, including 39% (7-18) on three-pointers, and 70% (7-10) at the line.

Longwood and Utah Valley State are each reclassifying their intercollegiate athletics programs to NCAA Division I status. The Lancers are in year two of a four-year transition, while the Wolverines are in year two of a seven-year reclassification process from a former two-year junior college.