December 11, 2010

Box Score

FARMVILLE, Va. - The Longwood University women's basketball team snapped a six-game skid with a 74-70 victory over visiting Wright State University of the Horizon League on Saturday afternoon in Willett Hall in Farmville. Sophomore Chelsea Coward | Mechanicsville (Hanover) led four double-figure scorers for the Lancers (2-6) with 18 points and and a career-high seven assists while freshman Bria White | Silver Spring, Md. (Bethesda Chevy Chase) and junior Brittanni Billups | Goldsboro, N.C. (Eastern Wayne) scored 14 points each. Wright State (4-4) was led by Molly Fox with 18 points and 16 rebounds. The game was the first under interim head coach Bill Reinson. Longwood returns to action on Saturday, December 18, when it travels to Richmond to face Virginia Commonwealth University of the Colonial Athletic Association at 4 p.m..

Longwood dug an early six-point deficit but cut the margin to two at 12-10 at the first media timeout. Coward scored five points in the opening minutes for the Lancers. A traditional three-point play by Fox put the Raiders ahead 20-15 with 13:51 remaining in the first half, but Longwood went on a 10-0 run over the next two minutes to push ahead 25-20. White scored five points during the run, while sophomore Crystal Smith | Richmond (Meadowbrook) added a three-pointer and Coward nailed a jumper. Longwood extended the lead to 10 at 38-28 with 5:07 remaining in the first half when Coward converted a traditional three-point play. Wright State went on a 15-4 run over the final five minutes of the first half and carried a 43-42 lead in to halftime. The Lancers shot 57.1% (16-28) from the floor in the first half, including 6-8 from behind the arc.

The Lancers went on an 11-2 run to start the second half to grab the lead for good at 53-45 with 15:40 remaining in the game. The Raiders cut the lead to three points three times in the second half but could not get closer than that until they cut the lead to two at 72-70 with 52 seconds remaining. Coward made a pair of free throws with 10 seconds remaining to push the final to 74-70.

Longwood shot 41.7% (25-60) from the floor, including 53.8% (7-13) from behind the arc, and 85% (17-20) from the foul line. Coward paced the Lancers with 18 points (6-13 FG, 5-6 FT), while Billups (5-8 FG, 4-4 FT) added 14 points and nine rebounds. Junior Brittany Jones | Richmond (North Florida) added a season-high 12 points (4-6 FG, 4-4 FT) and seven rebounds. Sophomore Erin Neal | Durham, N.C. (Hillside) scored four points with six assists while classmate Heather Tobeck | La Porte, Texas (La Porte) provided help on the defensive end with five rebounds, three blocks and two steals. The Lancers dished out a season-high 17 assists.

Wright State shot 33.3% (27-81) from the floor, including 27.8% (10-36) from behind the arc, and 66.7% (6-9) from the foul line. Fox scored 18 points (7-12 FG) while LaShawna Thomas added 17 points (6-18 FG) and eight assists and Maria Bennett (5-18 FG, 3-14 3FG) scored 13 points. Tanni Scott grabbed 12 rebounds as the Raiders outrebounded Longwood 52-42.

Longwood is now 1-2 against Wright State in women's basketball, including 1-1 in Willett Hall.