February 27, 2007

BOX SCORE

KENNESAW, Ga.-- Longwood women’s basketball dropped its season finale at Kennesaw State 80-63 on Tuesday evening, finishing the season 8-21.  The Lancers were led by Keiva Small/Norfolk (Norview) who tallied a team high 16 points while pulling down seven rebounds.  The Owls (12-15) had four players in double-digit figures, led by Rosetta Hollis’ game-high 20 points.  

Longwood opened the game strong, going up by five on a lay-up and free throw by Anna Steg/Fairfax (George C. Marshall) while Small hit a lay-up of her own for the 5-0 lead with 17:28 to go in the half.  After KSU scored its first bucket of the game the next time down the floor, Becky Fernandes/Fairfax (Bishop Ireton) and Small teamed up off an inbounds play to give the Lancers back their five point lead with 16:42 left in the opening half.  

Hollis tied the game at nine, at the 13:55 mark, converting a three-point play, which was quickly answered by Longwood on the other end of the floor by Ashleigh Hollman’s/Centreville (Westfield) three-point basket.  After Longwood’s five-point lead was brought down to two with 12:51 to go in the half, Hollman intercepted a pass on the left elbow and sunk a pull-up jumper on the other end to send the Lancers into the second media timeout with a 16-12 lead.  Fernandes and Courtney Dyer/Richmond (Monacan) gave the visiting Lancers a six-point lead mid-way through the half, each hitting a lay-up with the shot clock winding down.  

Kennesaw State battled back in the game and tied the game at 20 with 8:22 before the break, as Hollis converted a lay-up and foul shot for the game’s second tie.  Dyer hit a jumper and Hollman hit a three-point shot to give the lead back to the Lancers with 7:23 to go in the first half.  The Owls and Lancers battled for the lead in the next three minutes, where the home squad of KSU took the lead on a pair of free throws by Stephanie Scearce and a three by Jennifer Baker to give the Owls a four point edge with 3:32 to go in the half.  Hollman cut the lead on a three on Longwood’s next trip on offense but the Owls outscore Longwood 6-2 in the final three minutes to grab a 37-32 halftime lead.  Hollman set the mark for Longwood after twenty minutes scoring 11 points, going 3-4 from three-point land.

KSU took advantage of a Longwood foul on its first possession of the half, as Jade Robinson converted a three-point play giving the Owls an eight point cushion early in the half.  Small answered on Longwood’s following trip down the floor hitting a three point basket for a 40-35 score.  Kennesaw State took an eight point lead into the first media timeout, outscoring the Lancers 10-7 in the opening four minutes of the half.

The Owls began to push the game out of reach of Longwood with 13:30 to go, as Kennesaw State hit three-point baskets on its next three possessions to pad its lead to 59-63 with 11:17 to go in the game.  The Lancers were unable to recover, coming within 13 with 6:49 to go in the game after Fernandes hit the front end on a pair of free-throws putting the score at 63-50.  That’s as close as Longwood would get as Kennesaw State remained strong offensively to preserve the win.

“The tempo of the game really was in our favor for the opening ten minutes of the game,” explained head coach Pamela Bass.  “The difference of the game was on the boards and at the free throw line.”

Hollman finished the game 15 points while Dyer contributed 11 points of her own.  Fernandes was strong on both sides of the court, dishing out eight assists while tallying six steals on the defensive side.  For the game Longwood shot 37.5% from the floor and struggled from the free throw line going 9-19 (47.4%) in the loss.

“This season has been about growth for this team and the overall record does not reflect that,” stated Bass.  “Every practice and game there was improvement.  We have a great core of players returning and to our seniors they have been true leaders throughout the season and have represented Longwood in a positive manor.”