Box Score

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Longwood University women's basketball team fell, 86-60, to the University of Pittsburgh (5-1) of the Big East Conference on Monday evening at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pa. Senior Chelsea Coward|Mechanicsville led the Lancers (1-5) with 17 points and 10 rebounds, good for her third consecutive double-double. Freshman Khalilah Ali|Suffolk added a double-double of her own with 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Longwood continues its eight-game road swing at in-state rival Virginia Tech of the Atlantic Coast Conference on Saturday, December 1 beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Pittsburgh opened the game with a 10-2 run, but the Lancers quickly cut the deficit to just four, as Coward hit a jumper from beyond the arc and freshman Raven Williams|Richmond (3 points, 1 rebound) converted on a free throw opportunity, making it 10-6 with 15:52 left to play in the first half. Pitt answered with five straight points to take its largest lead of the half before Longwood used a 15-4 run to go ahead for the first time in the game on a put-back from Ali at 21-19 with 9:40 to go in the first. Over the course of the next seven minutes, the teams traded baskets and knotted the game on four additional occasions until the Panthers scored five in a row to take a 35-30 advantage into halftime.

Coming out of the break, the Panthers extended their buffer to 10 less than one minute into the second half. The Lancers would not go silently, outscoring Pitt, 14-10, to pull within six, down just 50-44 with 13:35 still to play. Although the squad would not come any closer, Longwood made it a six-point game once again at 52-46 before the Panthers scored 14 straight points to make it a 66-46 game with 9:33 left in the contest. Pitt outscored Longwood 20-14 in the final minutes of the game to seal the 86-60 victory.

Coward's 17 points and 10 boards marked her fourth double-double of the season, while Ali (12 points, 11 rebounds) registered her first career double-double. Seniors Crystal Smith|Richmond and Mieke Elkington|Hamilton, New Zealand added to the offensive effort with seven points apiece, while classmate Erin Neal added six points. As a squad, the Lancers shot 39% (22-57) from the floor, 33% (7-21) from three-point territory and 53% (9-17) from the foul line.

Pittsburgh was led by Brianna Kiesel with a game-high 27 points. Asia Logan (10 points, 11 rebounds) and Chyna Golden (12 points, 10 rebounds) each tallied a double-double to add to the Panthers' offensive effort. As a team, Pitt shot 46% (31-68) from the field, including 44% (4-9) from beyond the arc, and 65% (20-31) from the line.

Monday's contest marked the first ever meeting between Longwood and Pittsburgh in the sport of women's basketball.