March 1, 2010

BOX SCORE

HAMPTON, Va. -- Longwood University dropped a 95-81 men's basketball road decision in its season-finale at Hampton University Monday night in Hampton. The contest against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) school featured a combined 50 personal fouls, including four player disqualifications (five fouls each) for the visitors, seven technical fouls, and 72 free throw attempts -- 50 by the hosts who made 31 (62%). The Lancers (12-19) trailed 48-37 at halftime and were no closer than eight points after the intermission while led by senior Dana Smith/Woodbridge (C.D. Hylton) with 20 points; finishing his outstanding career with 1,540 career points (4th all-time). The Pirates (12-17) were led by Vincent Simpson with a game-high 22 points. Longwood's 12 wins this season are its second-highest total since beginning Division I scheduling in 2004-05, only behind last year's final record of 17-14.

Longwood forged an early 5-5 tie at 16:56 on a three-point field goal by sophomore Martiz Washington/Hopewell (Christchurch) before Hampton used an 18-5 run to lead 23-10 at 10:52. The Lancers battled back to within 30-26 at 6:01 as another Washington three-pointer capped a 16-7 run. LU was still within 40-35 at 2:21 on a layup from Smith but HU closed the half with an 8-2 run to lead 48-37 at halftime behind 16 points from Simpson. Washington had 14 points at the break for the visitors.

Longwood scored the first five points of the second half, all by Smith, to pull to within 48-42 at 17:48, but Hampton responded with a 12-2 run to lead 60-44 with 14:18 on the clock -- the run capped by three free throws as the first technical was whistled on the Lancers at that juncture of the game. Two more techs were assessed to the home team at 8:34, resulting in two free throws by senior Kevin Swecker/Manchester, Md. (Mount Saint Joseph) to make it 70-57.  It appeared that two Hampton players could have been ejected, one for knocking an official to the floor, and the other for leaving the bench, but neither were.

Sophomore Antwan Carter/St. Petersburg, Fla. (St. Petersburg) scored inside at 6:47 to close the margin to 72-62 but was called for a flagrant technical foul after the basket, his fifth, and a disqualification from the contest. Smith's tip-in at 6:11 made it 72-64 but the Lancers could get no closer as Simpson answered with a three-pointer at 5:43. The final 4:50 of the ugly contest saw the Pirates make 11-16 free throws as two more techs were given to LU with 1:00 remaining when it seemed that a Hampton player took a swing at a Longwood player or two, but only a foul was given to the visitors while trapping near the sideline.  Yet one more technical, though, was awarded against HU for an illegal substitution (player not listed in official scorebook) with 33-seconds remaining.

Smith led Longwood with his 20 points before fouling out with 1:00 remaining. Washington finished with 14 points for the Lancers before exiting at 1:00 as well, and Carter had his 10th double-double this season with 13 points and 10 rebounds before leaving at 6:47. Senior Billy Robinson Jr./Columbia, Md. (Hammond) contributed 10 points off the bench, Swecker had six points and six rebounds in his final game, and senior #E.J. Dawson#/Alexandria (Mount Vernon) added two assists in his final game before fouling out with 11:34 on the clock. LU shot 51% (30-59) from the field, including 35% (8-23) on three-pointers, and 59% (13-22) at the free throw line.  The visitors committed 30 personal fouls, four technical fouls, and 22 turnovers that were converted into 33 points for the home team.

Simpson led Hampton with his game-high 22 points. Darrion Pellum added 16 points for the Pirates as did Charles Funches and Kwame Morgan, each of the latter two off the bench. HU shot 55% (28-51) from the field, including 44% (8-18) on three-pointers, and 62% (31-50) at the line -- a plus-18 advantage at the charity stripe for the hosts.  The hosts committed 20 personal fouls, and three of the technical fouls.

Longwood and Hampton were playing for just the third-time as the Pirates now lead the series at 2-1.  It was the final game in a Longwood uniform for Smith, Swecker, Robinson Jr., and Dawson.