Box Score
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FARMVILLE, Va. -- Senior
Tristan Carey/Colonial Beach scored a team-high 17 points to lead five players in double-figure scoring as Longwood University took an 88-70 men's basketball victory past Division II Mars Hill University on Saturday evening at Willett Hall in Farmville. Sophomore
Lucas Woodhouse/Greenlawn, New York had a season-high 16 points for the Lancers (2-1), as did sophomore
Leron Fisher/Baltimore, Maryland with 14 points, while sophomore
Karl Ziegler/Annandale and freshman
Darrion Allen/Pompano Beach, Florida each added 12 points, also a season-high for Allen. Isaiah Cuthbertson led the Lions (0-3) with game highs of 20 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double. Longwood will remain at home to welcome Brown University on Friday night, November 22 at 7 p.m. at Willett Hall in Farmville.
"I'm happy we got the win," said first-year Longwood head coach
Jayson Gee. "I was excited to see the amount of fans at the game, which gives me great hope and confidence in [the idea that] we're going to make this place a difficult place to play. And when you're turning a program around, the one thing you've got to do and have is home-court dominance … and I thought we established that tonight with the crowd and with the win."
Carey opened the game with a step-back three-point field goal for Longwood, but stubborn Mars Hill battled early and took their largest lead of the contest at 16-13 with 12:23 on the first-half clock. Cuthbertson scored 10 of his points during the first 7:37 for the Lions. The first 12:40 of the game featured six lead changes and seven ties, before the Lancers took the lead for good on a steal and slam dunk by Carey for a 26-24 advantage at 7:10, igniting a 22-10 run toward the largest lead of the first half at 46-34 with 1:44 left until the break -- and much to the delight of the near-capacity (1,807) crowd of 1,666. Six different players contributed to the outburst, including five points from Fisher, four points each from Allen, Woodhouse and senior
Jeff Havenstein/Mt. Airy, Maryland, along with a three-pointer off the bench by freshman
Isaac Belton/Salem. It was 46-38 at the intermission as Mars Hill stayed close behind 16 first-half points from Cuthbertson.
Longwood quickly extended its margin to 20 points at 58-38 at 16:01 with a 12-0 run to start the second half, getting six quick points from Ziegler and a dunk by freshman
Damarion Geter/Dayton, Ohio to finish the spurt. Mars Hill answered with a 9-0 run of its own to trail 58-47 at 13:02, but the Lancers responded with a 14-4 run to lead 72-51 with 6:43 remaining. Carey scored five points during the run that was started by a three-pointer from Woodhouse and included another slam dunk by Geter. The Lions could get no closer than 15 points (76-61, 3:54), as Longwood maintained the comfortable margin down the stretch.
Carey led Longwood with his team-high 17 points. Woodhouse posted 16 points and seven assists, while Fisher finished with 14 points, four assists and three steals for the Lancers. Ziegler and Allen each contributed 12 points, and Havenstein had six points and seven rebounds. Longwood shot 55% (36-65) from the field, including 47% (7-15) on three-pointers, and 82% (9-11) at the free throw line. The Lancers forced Mars Hill into 22 turnovers, converting them into 30 points.
Cuthbertson led Mars Hill with his game highs of 20 points and 14 rebounds. Carter Wright had 19 points for the Lions, while Devonte Williams finished with 11 points and a game-high eight assists, and Thomas Anderson added 10 points. MHU shot 35% (23-65) from the field, including 30% (6-20) on three-pointers, and 69% (18-26) at the line.
Longwood and Mars Hill were meeting for only the fourth time since 1991, and for the first time since 1995, and the series is now tied, 2-2.
