November 28, 2008
BOX SCORE
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Longwood University dropped an 81-77 men's basketball decision to Southeast Missouri State University Friday afternoon during a third-round game of the 2008 Las Vegas Invitational at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Lancers (3-4) were led by redshirt-junior Dana Smith/Woodbridge (C.D. Hylton) with a career-high and game-high 26 points, adding nine rebounds. The Redhawks of the Ohio Valley Conference (2-3) were led by 6-9, 220-pound Calvin Williams with 22 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Longwood will play again on Saturday, November 29, against Delaware State University at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Longwood rallied from a 12-point deficit (55-67) with 8:29 remaining to tie the contest at 69-69 with 3:38 left to play on a layup from Smith that capped a 14-2 run sparked by six points from sophomore Durann Neil/Pleasantville, N.J. (Leap Academy). SEMO scored the next five points to lead 74-69 at 1:39 on a pair of offensive rebound baskets and a free throw for a subsequent three-point play inside. Smith answered with a three-point play of his own to cut the lead to 74-72 at 1:26 before a layup and 1-2 free throws made it 77-72 at 00:46. Senior Ryan Bogan/Oxford, Pa. (Harcum JC) made a three-point field goal to once-again bring the Lancers within two points at 77-75 with 42-seconds on the clock but the Redhawks made 4-4 free throws to seal the outcome.
Longwood had led early in the contest at 9-2 just 2:11 into the game as Neil scored four quick points and Bogan made a three-pointer. SEMO rallied back to take its first lead at 12-11 with 14:56 on the clock behind two three-pointers from Kenard Moore and two baskets from Williams. The Redhawks led 22-15 at 10:29 before an 11-5 run had the Lancers within 27-26 at 7:18 as Smith scored five points. LU still was within 35-34 at 4:05 after a fastbreak slam dunk by sophomore Brandon Evans/Roanoke (Roanoke Catholic), but SEMO closed the half with a 10-2 run to lead 45-36 at the intermission.
Smith finished with a career-high and game-high 26 points, including 10-17 shooting from the field and 6-8 at the free throw line, along with nine rebounds to lead Longwood. Neil had 14 points for the Lancers, and sophomore Kevin Swecker/Manchester, Md. (Mount Saint Joseph) added 10 second-half points. Bogan contributed eight points. LU shot 40% (31-78) from the field, including 20% (5-25) on three-point field goals, and 71% (10-14) at the free throw line.
Williams finished with 22 points and a game-high 11 rebounds to lead Southeast Missouri State. Moore had 18 points for the Redhawks, while Jaycen Herring and Johnny Hill each added 11 points. SEMO shot 50% (29-58) from the field, including 44% (4-9) on three-pointers, and 73% (19-26) at the line.
Ironically, Longwood fell by a similar score of 82-78 to SEMO last November 24 during the seventh-place game of the Chicago Invitational Challenge in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The Lancers and Delaware State of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will be meeting for the first-time ever on Saturday in Las Vegas as the Hornets lost their third-round game of the exempt event to Oakland University by a score of 75-70 after leading 42-33 at halftime.
