Box Score
FARMVILLE, Va. -- Sophomore Saah Nimley scored a game-high 21 points to lead visiting Charleston Southern University to a 75-62 Big South Conference men's basketball victory against Longwood University on Saturday afternoon at Willett Hall in Farmville. The Buccaneers (8-6, 3-0 Big South) led 40-28 at halftime during the BB&T Big South Game of the Week on ESPN3, while Arlon Harper added 18 points. Freshman
Nik Brown|Ashburn scored 18 points for the Lancers (3-14, 0-3 Big South). Longwood will play its first league road contest at fellow Big South North Division and in-state rival Radford University on Wednesday night, January 16, at 7 p.m.
Longwood jumped to a 6-2 lead early at 18:29 following consecutive three-point field goals by junior captain
Tristan Carey|Colonial Beach and Brown. CSU answered with 11-straight points, including five from Harper, to lead 11-6 at 15:40. The Lancers closed to within 15-13 at 11:41 on a free throw by junior captain
David Robinson|Chesterfield, but the Buccaneers responded with 10 unanswered points to lead 25-13 at 8:34, and the visitors maintained a comfortable margin to the break, leading 40-28 at the intermission. Nimley had 12 points at halftime and Harper added nine first-half points, while Brown had 12 points for the hosts.
Charleston Southern, the preseason pick to win the South Division of the conference, continued with its momentum in the second half, extending the advantage to 54-36 with 14:52 remaining on a dunk by Cedrick Bowen, after Nimley had scored seven quick points. Longwood battled back to within 54-42 at 11:14 after four points scored inside from freshman
Michael Kessens|Nyon, Switzerland, and the Lancers had two possessions to close the gap even further, but did not convert either. The Buccaneers scored five quick points on a three-pointer by Jeremy Sexton and a layup by Harper to lead 59-42 at 9:06, and CSU extended its lead to as many as 23 points, 71-48, with 5:23 left as Harper and Sexton each made three-pointers during the 17-6 run. Longwood closed the contest by outscoring the Buccaneers 14-4 en route to the final margin.
“We were never really able to get into an offensive rhythm this afternoon,” said 10th-year head coach Mike Gillian. “Early in the game, we missed a bunch of easy scoring opportunities. As a result, Charleston Southern was able to dictate and control the tempo of the game. They did what they do a whole lot better than us.”
Brown led Longwood with his 18 points, adding four assists. Carey had 16 points, a game-high nine rebounds and three steals for the Lancers. Kessens finished with 14 points and a game-high nine rebounds, and redshirt-sophomore
Jeylani Dublin|Brooklyn, New York contributed nine points and six rebounds off the bench. LU shot 36.4% (20-55) from the field, including 16.7% (3-18) on three-pointers and a season-best 91% (19-21) at the free throw line.
Nimley led Charleston Southern with his game-high 21 points, tying his career high with eight rebounds along with a game-high eight assists and also tying his career high with a game-high four steals. Harper finished with his 18 points, and Bowen contributed 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench. CSU shot 38.5% (25-65) from the field, including 24.0% (6-25) on three-pointers and 73.1% (19-26) at the line.
Longwood and Charleston Southern were playing for only the second time, and the series is now tied, 1-1.
Charleston Southern will return home to host league South Division opponent UNC Asheville on Wednesday, Jan. 16, at 7:30 p.m.
