December 6, 2006

BOX SCORE

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Longwood University dropped a difficult 59-57 men’s basketball road decision at High Point University Wednesday night in North Carolina. The host Panthers (6-3) closed the game with a 15-3 run over the final 7:36 to erase a 10-point deficit as Arizona Reid (16 points) converted a decisive three-point play inside with just 5.5-seconds remaining for the come-from-behind win. Senior Maurice Sumter/Alexandria (T.C. Williams) led the visiting hard-luck Lancers (3-7) with a game-high 18 points. Longwood is scheduled to play again on Saturday, December 9, at Liberty University in Lynchburg at the Vines Center beginning at 7 p.m..

Longwood had taken a 54-44 lead with 8:01 remaining a three-point field goal from senior Husein Pistoljevic/Richland, Wash. (Hanford). It was Pistoljevic’s third three-pointer of the contest as he became the school’s all-time leader in three-point field goals with 169, surpassing DeVonne Johnson (1992-96, 167). At that point, everything began going wrong for the Lancers who did not score another field goal the remainder of the game. The visitors were 0-9 from the field, including 0-2 on three-pointers, and 3-6 at the free throw line with three turnovers as High Point rallied for the victory behind seven late points from Reid, including the game-winning and old-fashioned three-point play -- the only lead of the second half for HPU.

Longwood fell behind early for the second-straight contest, trailing 9-0 at 15:47 of the first half. The Lancers finally got on the scoreboard at 15:28 on a three-pointer by Pistoljevic, and battled back to lead 13-11 on a jumper from Sumter at 12:24 who scored eight quick points. The two teams traded baskets for several minutes with the opening 20 minutes featuring nine lead-changes and seven ties. Longwood took its largest lead of the half at 27-22 with 4:36 left before the break on a layup from junior Brandon Giles/Gaithersburg, Md. (Magruder), and the Lancers led 31-28 at the intermission on a buzzer-beating layup by senior Clayton Morgan/Brooklyn, N.Y. (Fashion Institute). Sumter’s basket at 14:54 gave Longwood its biggest lead of the game at 41-30, and the Lancers seemed in control until things went south over the final eight minutes.

Sumter finished with a game-high 18 points (8-13 FG), adding four rebounds, three assists, and two steals to lead Longwood while moving into seventh on the career scoring list (1,268). Sophomore Kirk Williams/White Plains, N.Y. (Woodlands) added 12 points, eight rebounds, and three assists off the bench for the Lancers, while Morgan had 10 points and seven rebounds. Pistoljevic finished with nine points (3-6 3FG), including the career three-point field goal record (169). LU shot 44% (22-50) from the field, including 52% (13-25) in the first half, 31% (4-13) on three-pointers, and 56% (9-16) at the line. The Lancers did out-rebound the Panthers 38-35, but committed 20 turnovers that were converted into 21 points.

Reid finished with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead High Point which also got 16 points from Mike Jefferson, including a big three-pointer at 1:38 to pull the hosts to within 57-56. Jerald Minnis added 10 points and seven rebounds for the Panthers. HPU shot 36% (21-59) from the field, including 25% (5-20) on three-pointers, and 57% (12-21) at the line.

Longwood and High Point will play again late next month, January 28, in Farmville.