2009-10 Roster
2009-10 Schedule

FARMVILLE, Va. - The 2009-10 Longwood University women's basketball returns two starters among six letterwinners from last year's squad. Third-year head coach Kristin Caruso and assistant coaches Gayle Coats, Mike Davis and Wanisha Smith have brought in six newcomers, including five freshmen, that they believe will help the Lancers improve on last year's 8-21 record. Longwood will open the season on Friday, November 13, at Virginia Tech of the Atlantic Coast Conference at 7:30 p.m. in Blacksburg. The Lancers open their home schedule against USC Upstate on Monday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. in Willett Hall in Farmville.

Starters Returning
The Lancers return two starters from last year's squad in senior guard Becky Fernandes and junior guard Krystal Garrison. Fernandes led the team in several categories, including 8.9 points, 3.6 assists, 1.5 steals and 31.9 minutes per game. She was second on the team in rebounds, averaging 4.3 rebounds per game. She has appeared in 84 out of a possible 87 games with 78 starts and is the most experienced player the Lancers have. Garrison appeared in 23 games last season with 14 starts and averaged 29.4 minutes per game. She was third on the team in scoring, averaging 8.3 points per game, and led the team in free throw percentage, converting on 77% of her chances from the line.

“Becky is our unquestioned leader,” said Caruso. “A third-year captain and starting point guard we are expecting her to continue to take care of the basketball and be a leader on the floor. Krystal is a natural scorer and is capable of being our leading scorer this season.”

Other Returners
Longwood has four other players that saw action last season. Sophomore Brittanni Billups averaged 4.6 points on 38% shooting and 2.4 rebounds in 19 appearances last season with three starts. Classmate Emma Zieverink appeared in 28 of 29 games with nine starts. She averaged 3.8 points on 41% shooting and 3.1 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game. Morgan Smith averaged 3.0 points on 33% shooting in 28 games with seven starts. Lindsey Martin contributed 1.9 points per game in 26 games while shooting 40% from three. Mallory Short rejoins the team after missing last season.

“This group of sophomores gained a lot of experience as freshmen and has come back as better basketball players,” said Caruso. “They all have the opportunity to be contributors this season.”

Newcomers
Longwood welcomes five freshman, three of them hailing from the greater Richmond area. Crystal Smith, a guard from Meadowbrook High School in Richmond, finished her high school career with 1,300 career points. She was All-Central District First-Team selection as a senior. Chelsea Coward, a forward from Hanover High School in Mechanicsville, Va., earned Capital District Player of the Year honors as a senior. She averaged 18 points per game as a senior and finished her career with more than 1,000 points. Jasmine Spence, a center that attended Amelia Academy, was named to the All-Conference and All-State team as a senior. Other newcomers include Erin Neal, a guard from Durham, N.C., was named to the All-Defensive team after all four years in high school. Her high school team went undefeated in conference play for three straight years and set a school record for wins in a four-year period. Heather Tobeck, a forward from La Porte, Texas, was named the District 22-5A Player of the Year after her junior and senior season.

“Our freshmen class is the most athletic class we have had here at Longwood,” said Caruso. “They will all help us on the defensive end of the court. Look for key contributions from many of them this season.”

New Coaches
In addition to five new players, Coach Caruso has added two new coaches to her staff. Mike Davis played collegiately at Virginia Tech from 1991-94 and previously worked as an AAU basketball coach with Three Point Line Sports in Richmond. Wanisha Smith played four years of basketball at Duke University, the first three under legendary head coach Gail Goestenkors, before a brief stint in the WNBA with the Detroit Shock.