2012-13 Digital Team Guide

FARMVILLE, Va. – The Longwood University women's basketball team opened its 2012-13 campaign with a pair of games last week. The Lancers dropped a 71-61 decision at the University of Richmond on November 9 before mounting a late comeback to defeat the United States Air Force Academy, 68-63, in their home opener on Nov. 12. Longwood will play two more games this week when the squad travels to North Carolina State University for a 7 p.m. tilt on Nov. 15 and returns home for its final home game before the new year against Murray State University on Nov. 17 at 2 p.m.

Recapping Air Force
Air Force jumped in front early and used a 17-3 run to take its largest advantage of the game at 22-10 with just over six minutes left in the first half. The Lancers cut the deficit to eight before the period expired, down just 29-21 at the break. Coming out of halftime, the Lancers took control of the momentum, tying the game at 29-29 on a fast break layup by freshman Raven Williams|Richmond before pulling ahead on a jumper by senior Crystal Smith|Richmond. The teams battled closely over the next 10 minutes, trading the lead six times until Longwood took the lead for good on a three-pointer from senior Chelsea Coward|Mechanicsville that sparked a 15-4 run to give LU a 62-52 advantage with just over a minute remaining. The Falcons scored 11 points in the final minute of play, but the Lancers held on for the 68-63 victory.

Head Coach Bill Reinson on Air Force
“We weren't comfortable offensively in the first half. After Chelsea's two fouls, we had one senior and a bunch of freshmen out there. It's different when you have the two seniors to guide the others, so that group seemed a little lost out there. At halftime, I told them there was nothing they could do about the first half, but we were only down eight and still within striking distance. There was a big difference in the second half. The seniors stepped up and Khalilah (Ali) was great on the post. Raven (Williams) showed poise in her performance that we were extremely pleased with. The crowd was great and I hope the fans stick around. They want to see exciting basketball and want to see Longwood win, and if we can keep doing that, the fans will keep coming.”

Recapping Richmond
The Lancers took an early lead and stayed ahead for most of the first half, paced by Coward, who notched a double-double with 16 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in 36 minutes of play. Richmond tied the game for the first time at 24-24 with 6:26 left in the first before pulling ahead at 35-34 going into halftime. Coming out of the break, Freshman Daeisha Brown|Richmond, who totaled a game-high 18 points, put in the go-ahead layup to give LU a 36-35 edge, but Richmond followed with a 24-2 run to take a 59-38 advantage with less than 11 minutes to play en route to victory. Richmond now holds a 9-7 advantage in the all-time series.

Scouting NC State
The Wolfpack is 2-0 so far this season after picking up a pair of victories in the Sheraton Raleigh Wolfpack Invitational. The squad defeated Ashburn, 85-71, on Nov. 10 and Wofford, 85-45, on Nov. 9. Junior Kody Burke leads fourth-year head coach Kellie Harper's team with 22.5 points per game. Marissa Kastanek (15.0) and Myisha Goodwin-Coleman (11.0) have added to the offensive effort.

Scouting Murray State
The Racers are currently 0-2 on the season after falling to Indiana, 63-62, on Nov. 12 and Western Kentucky, 80-69, on Nov. 9. Murray State, under the direction of fourth-year head coach Rob Cross, will play James Madison on Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. before traveling to Farmville to square off against Longwood. Senior Mariah Robinson is averaging a team-high 16.0 points per game, while junior Erica Burgess follows closely with 15.5 points per game.

Leading the Charge for Longwood
Crystal Smith leads the Lancers with 15.0 points per game through the first two games of the season, followed closely by Chelsea Coward with 14.0 points per game and Daeisha Brown with 11.5. Coward has a team-high 12.0 rebounds per game ahead of freshman Khalilah Ali|Suffolk with an average of 7.5 boards. Smith is first on the team with 11 assists and Coward is first with six steals and six blocked shots.

A Debut to Remember
Freshman Daeisha Brown made a significant impact in her first career start at Richmond. The Richmond, Va., native posted a team-high 18 points in her collegiate debut.

Doubling Up
Chelsea Coward started her senior season on a high note with a double-double at Richmond. Her 15 rebounds were good for a new career-best. She also set another career mark with six blocks in the outing. Coward's 12 points and nine rebounds against Air Force put her just one rebound shy of collecting her second straight double-double of the season.

Beyond the Arc
Crystal Smith tied a career best with four three-point field goals en route to her game-high 23 points against Air Force.

Home Sweet Home
With conference affiliation comes the promise of at least nine home games every year. In 2012-13, Longwood will play 11 contests inside the friendly confines of Willett Hall, where the squad has always fared well. LU posted a 5-3 record at home last season to give the program a 31-26 record in Farmville since becoming Division I-eligible in 2007-08 (five seasons).

On the Road Again
The Lancers will play eight straight games away from Farmville beginning on Nov. 20 at Coppin State in Baltimore. The team will not return home until Jan. 3 when it hosts Gardner-Webb, meaning LU will spend the entire month of December on the road. This road swing will mark the longest in the history of the program.

Coaches and Captains
Longwood returns to action in 2012-13 under the direction of third-year head coach Bill Reinson. He is assisted by Wanisha Smith, Sarah Williams and Adria Crawford. Seniors Chelsea Coward and Erin Neal will serve as captains for the first time in their careers.

Up Next
Following the squad's home contest against Murray State, the team begins its eight-game road trip at Coppin State on Nov. 20 at 6 p.m.