February 5, 2011

Box Score

ROCK HILL, S.C. - The Longwood University women's basketball team fell 54-46 at Winthrop University of the Big South Conference on Saturday night in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The Lancers (5-16) were led by sophomore Chelsea Coward|Mechanicsville (Hanover) with 19 points (4-13 FG, 11-15 FT), including 17 second-half points, while the Eagles (10-11) were led by Katie Fitzgerald with 11 points. Longwood returns to action on Tuesday, February 8, when it hosts UNC Asheville, also of the Big South Conference, at 7 p.m. in Willett Hall in Farmville for the “Pink Lancer” game. The Lancers defeated the Bulldogs 76-66 on the road earlier this season.

The Lancers jumped out to a 5-2 lead after a three-pointer by senior Krystal Garrison|Fredericksburg (Courtland) and a jumper by junior Brittanni Billups|Goldsboro, N.C. (Eastern Wayne) with 18:28 remaining in the first half. Winthrop built an 18 point lead at 33-15 with 1:58 remaining in the half before the Lancers went on a 5-0 run to end the half. Junior Morgan Smith|Williamsport, Md. (Williamsport) converted a traditional three-point play and junior Emma Zieverink|West Chester, Ohio (Lakota West) made a pair of free throws during the run to make the halftime score 33-20.

The Lancers went on a 16-2 run to start the second half behind 12 points from Coward, including six points at the foul line. The Lancers led 36-35 with 14:22 remaining after a Coward jumper, but the hosts pulled ahead 42-38 with 12:41 remaining. Junior Brittany Jones|Richmond (North Florida) made a layup to cut the lead to two at 42-40 with 12:22 remaining, but her layup would be the final field goal the Lancers. Winthrop's Mary Hathaway hit a jumper and Fitzgerald made a three-pointer to push the lead back to seven points at 47-40 with 10:16 remaining. It would be the last field goal for the Eagles as well as the teams scored the remaining points from the foul line. Winthrop outscored the Lancers 7-6 from the line over the final 8:45 to claim the 54-46 victory.

Longwood shot 25.9% (14-54) from the floor, including 11.1% (1-9) from behind the arc, and 65.4% (17-26) from the foul line. Coward paced the Lancers with 19 points while Billups added five points (2-6 FG) and three players scored four points. The Lancers turned 23 Winthrop turnovers in to 12 points.

Winthrop shot 39.6% (19-48) from the floor, including 22.2% (4-18) from the foul line, and 44.4% (12-27) from the foul line. The Eagles were paced by Fitzgerald with 11 points, while Kaitlyn Rubino and Dequesha McClanahan scored eight points each. Winthrop outrebounded Longwood 46-38 and scored 16 second-chance points. The Eagles had 11 assists and seven steals.