1.23.2012

Box Score

MURRAY, Ky. - The Longwood University women's basketball team dropped an 86-77 decision at Murray State University of the Ohio Valley Conference on Monday afternoon in Murray, Kentucky. Junior Crystal Smith|Richmond (Meadowbrook) led five double-figure scorers with 18 points and a career-high 11 assists, while junior Mieke Elkington|Hamilton, New Zealand (Cochise College) added 16 points and 10 rebounds. The Lancers led by as many as eight points in the first half and led 40-35 at halftime. Erica Burgess paced the Racers (8-11) with 31 points. Longwood (5-18) returns to action on Wednesday, January 25, when it faces Eastern Kentucky University of the OVC at 7 p.m. in Richmond, Kentucky.

The game was tied 11-11 with 9:46 remaining in the first half, then the Lancers went on a 15-9 run to lead 26-20 with 6:07 left in the period. Elkington hit a pair of three-pointers during the run. The hosts cut the lead to four (26-22), but Crystal Smith and junior Chelsea Coward|Mechanicsville (Hanover) made a pair of layups to push the lead to eight (30-22) with 4:50 remaining. Murray State cut the lead to one (36-35), but juniors Heather Tobeck|La Porte, Texas (La Porte) and Erin Neal|Durham, N.C. (Hillside) scored the final four points of the half to send the Lancers into the locker room with the 40-35 lead. 

The hosts scored first in the second half, then senior Brittanni Billups|Goldsboro, N.C. (Eastern Wayne) answered to put the Lancers ahead 42-37. Murray State tied the game at 44-44 with 17:06 left in the game, then Crystal Smith drained a three-pointer to give Longwood the 47-44 lead. The Racers scored the next six points and led 50-47 with 14:48 remaining, then Elkington hit another three-pointer to tie the game at 50-50. The hosts pulled away and led 69-56 with 9:09 remaining, but Longwood went on a 14-5 run, capped by back-to-back three-pointers by Elkington and freshman Rianna Frazer|Baltimore, Md. (Seton Keough), to trail 74-70 with 5:31 remaining. Murray State pushed the lead back to 10 with less than one minute to play and won 86-77.

Crystal Smith recorded her first-career double-double with 18 points (7-20 FG, 2-8 3FG, 2-3 FT) and a career-high 11 assists with four rebounds. Elkington added her second double-double of the season with 16 points (6-10 FG, 4-6 3FG) and 10 rebounds. Coward scored 16 points (7-17 FG, 2-3 FT), Billups added 10 points and Neal scored 10 points with five assists. Longwood shot 47.8% (32-67) from the floor, including 36.8% (7-19) from behind the arc, and 66.7% (6-9) from the foul line. The Lancers dished out a season-high 20 assists and added eight steals and three blocked shots. Longwood turned nine Murray State turnovers in to nine points and scored nine second-chance points.

Burgess scored a game-high 31 points (10-17 FG, 1-1 3FG, 10-12 FT) with four rebounds and four assists. Mariah Robinson added 21 points (7-18 FG, 5-7 3FG, 2-2 FT) with five rebounds, while Kyra Watson scored 14 points (6-11 FG, 2-4 FT) with a game-high 12 rebounds. Murray State shot 45.1% (32-71) from the floor, including 38.1% (8-21) from behind the arc, and 77.8% (14-18) from the foul line. The Racers turned 15 Longwood turnovers in to 20 points.