December 5, 2010

Box Score

FARMVILLE, Va. - The Longwood University women's basketball team dropped a 68-58 decision to visiting Gardner-Webb University of the Big South Conference on Sunday afternoon in Willett Hall in Farmville. Junior Brittanni Billups | Goldsboro, N.C. (Eastern Wayne) led Longwood (1-6) with 17 points, including shooting 13-for-14 from the foul line while the Runnin' Bulldogs (5-3) were led by Monique Hudson with a game-high 19 points. Longwood returns to action on Saturday, December 11, when it hosts Wright State University of the Horizon League at 2 p.m. in Willett Hall in Farmville.

Longwood jumped out to a 9-4 lead in the first four minutes of the game behind four points from Billups and a three-point play by sophomore Erin Neal | Durham, N.C. (Hillside). GWU rallied and took the 18-16 lead with 8:11 remaining in the first half. The Bulldogs pushed the lead to four, but a three-pointer by junior Morgan Smith | Williamsport, Md. (Williamsport) and a pair of free throws by Neal pushed the Lancers ahead 22-21 with 4:24 remaining in the half. GWU led 29-26 at halftime. Sophomore Chelsea Coward | Mechanicsville (Hanover) led the Lancers with nine points at halftime.

The Lancers cut the lead to two at 31-29 with 18:45 remaining after another three-pointer by Morgan Smith. Junior Mina Jovanovic | Smederevska Palanka, Serbia (Salt Lake CC) hit a pair of free throws to cut the lead to one at 36-35 with 14:10 remaining but the visitors pushed the lead back to four. Jovanovic cut the lead to 42-41 with 9:52 remaining, before the Bulldogs went on a 10-3 run over the next 4:05 to lead 52-44 with 5:47 remaining. The Lancers trimmed the deficit to six at 54-48 with 4:25 remaining, but could not get any closer.

Longwood shot 29.6% (16-54) from the floor, including 28.6% (4-14) from behind the arc, and 84.6% (22-26) from the foul line. The Lancers were led by Billups with 17 points (2-15 FG, 13-14 FT) and a team-high nine rebounds. Her 13 foul shots were the most in a game by a Longwood player since Becky Fernandes made 17 against NJIT during the 2008-09 season. Coward added 11 points and six rebounds, while Jovanovic scored 10 points with five rebounds. Morgan Smith (3-3 FG, 2-2 3FG) and Neal (2-4 FG, 3-5 FT) each scored eight points for the Lancers. Both teams grabbed 36 rebounds, with Longwood turning 14 offensive rebounds in to eight second-chance points. Longwood had six steals and turned 14 GWU turnovers in to 12 points.

Gardner-Webb shot 44.7% (21-47) from the floor, including 30.8% (4-13) from behind the arc, and 68.8% (22-32) from the foul line. The Bulldogs were paced by Monique Hudson with 19 points (6-12 FG, 7-10 FT), while Dominique Hudson (1-4 FG, 10-13 FT), Sandra Vaitkute (5-11 FG) and Jasmine Dale (4-7 FG, 3-6 3FG) each scored 12 points. GWU had eight steals and turned 16 Longwood turnovers in to 15 points.