February 25, 2006
BOX SCORE
FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University took an 82-71 men’s basketball victory past visiting Savannah State Saturday in Willett Hall, the Lancers’ third-straight win overall and sixth-straight home win where LU is 8-3 this season. Junior Maurice Sumter/Alexandria (T.C. Williams) led five double-figure scorers for Longwood (10-19) with 19 points, while the Tigers (2-28) were led by Terry Hill with 20 points. Longwood will complete its campaign next Saturday, March 4, hosting Utah Valley State in Willett Hall beginning at 3 p.m..
In a game that saw 13 lead changes and eight ties, Longwood finally took the lead for good at 54-53 on two free throws from sophomore Brandon Giles/Gaithersburg, Md. (Magruder) with 8:55 remaining. The Lancers were able to take control from that point, outscoring Savannah State 30-18 down the stretch -- begun with the Giles free throws. LU took its first double-figure lead at 67-57 with 3:45 left on a thunderous dunk by freshman Kirk Williams/White Plains, N.Y. (Woodlands) on a lob pass from Giles, and increased the advantage to as many as 13 points on three occasions over the final minutes as the Tigers chose to foul on nearly every home possession during the final 3:18 -- Longwood was 13-20 at the line to the finish.
Longwood opened the game sluggish and fell behind 14-8 with 11:50 left in the first half. Savannah State increased its advantage to as many as 10 points at 29-19 with 4:25 remaining before halftime. The Lancers, however, battled back to within 32-30 at the intermission, using an 11-3 run finished by Sumter with back-to-back layups. Sumter and sophomore Dana Smith/Woodbridge (C.D. Hylton) each scored eight points during the first 20 minutes for Longwood, including a highlight-reel steal and dunk by Smith, while Hill had nine points at the break for the Tigers.
Sumter (6-8 FT) finished with a team-high 19 points, adding five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks for Longwood. Smith (7-8 FT) earned his second career double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, adding two steals and two blocks. Junior Clayton Morgan/Brooklyn, N.Y. (Fashion Institute) just missed another double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds, adding four assists, while Williams (7-8 FG) finished with 15 points off the bench for the Lancers. Giles (8-9 FT) added 11 points and three assists. LU shot 47% (24-51) from the field, including 52% (12-23) in the second half, 29% (2-7) on three-point field goals, and 70% (32-46) at the line. The Lancers out-rebounded the visitors 39-33.
Hill had a game-high 20 points to lead Savannah State, while Javon Randolph added 19 points. Joseph Flegler and Chris Linton each added 11 points for the Tigers. SSU shot 43% (28-65) from the field, including 25% (4-16) on three-pointers, and 73% (11-15) at the line.
If eligible for NCAA Statistical Rankings, the Lancers would currently be third nationally among the most improved NCAA Division I programs from last season with a differential of plus-10 and their current record of 10-19 from last season’s 1-30. Head Coach Mike Gillian’s team has won three-straight games, six consecutive at home in Willett Hall, and seven of the last 10 games overall.
