February 13, 2010

BOX SCORE
 
FARMVILLE, Va. - The Longwood University women's basketball team ran past visiting Savannah State University 79-48 on Saturday afternoon in Willett Hall in Farmville on Senior Day. Sophomore Brittanni Billups/Goldsboro, N.C. (Eastern Wayne) led the Lancers (7-17) with 18 points and a career-high 17 rebounds while freshman Chelsea Coward/Mechanicsville (Hanover) matched Billups' 18 points. Senior Becky Fernandes/Fort Belvoir (Bishop Ireton) scored five points and added eight rebounds and six assists as the only senior on the team. Longwood returns to action on Tuesday, February 16, when it travels to Charlottesville to take on Atlantic Coast Conference member University of Virginia, ranked 21st in the USA Today/ESPN Poll, at 7 p.m..

The Lancers, winners of two-straight games, jumped out to an 18-4 lead seven minutes into the game. The lead grew to 18 at  29-11 with 7:47 remaining in the opening half after a pair of free throws by Billups. Longwood pushed the lead 19 at 33-14 at halftime. The Tigers' (9-19) 14 points were the fewest allowed by Longwood in a half this season. Longwood shot 48.3% (14-29) from the floor in the first half and held SSU to 21.4% (6-28) shooting. The second half was much of the same for Longwood as they pushed the lead to as many as 32 with 4:34 remaining.

Billups paced Longwood with 18 points and 17 rebounds. She has set a career-high in points or rebounds in four of the past six games with 17 boards marking a career high. Coward added 18 points while freshman Crystal Smith/Richmond (Meadowbrook) scored 15 with five assists. Sophomore Morgan Smith/Williamsport, Md. (Williamsport) was the fourth Longwood player to score in double-figures with 10 points and three blocks. All 10 players that played in the game for the Lancers scored. Longwood outrebounded SSU 50-33 and turned 20 offensive rebounds into 17 points. The Lancers had 15 steals, led by Fernandes with four.

Savannah State was led by Mattisha Mangum with 14 points and a team-high five rebounds. Crissa Jackson added nine points and three assists while Kymberli Stamps scored eight points. SSU turned the ball over 25 times which the Lancers converted to 31 points.

Longwood and Savannah State have now met 10 times in women's basketball with Longwood leading the series 6-4, including winning the past two contests.