Box Score

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The Longwood University women's basketball team snapped an eight game skid with a 67-54 victory at UNC Asheville (2-26, 0-17) on Saturday afternoon. The Lancers were led by senior Chelsea Coward/Mechanicsville with a game-high 23 points and nine rebounds. Classmate Crystal Smith/Richmond added to the offensive effort with 18 points in the outing. Longwood (10-17, 7-9) will return home to Willett Hall for its final two games of the regular season beginning on February 28 against Charleston Southern University at 7 p.m.

Longwood opened the game with layups from freshman Daeisha Brown/Richmond and Coward to take an early lead. Asheville pulled within one on a pair of occasions before tying the score at 6-6. The Bulldogs took their largest lead of the game on their next possession, but the Lancers knotted the game at 8-8 on a bucket from the paint from Coward at 14:46 in the first half, and after tying twice more, used an 8-0 run to pull ahead, 22-14, with just over five minutes left in the period. Asheville made it a one possession game at 23-21, but Longwood scored the final bucket of the half to take a slight, 25-21 edge into the break.

UNCA scored the first bucket of the second half, but Longwood answered with a 12-4 run to increase its margin to double digits, up 37-27, with 15:28 remaining in the contest. The Bulldogs cut the deficit to six with a pair of three-point jumpers, but would not come any closer. Smith knocked down a three-pointer of her own to spark a 13-4 Lancer run that gave the visitors a 52-37 advantage with less than nine minutes to play. The Lancers led by as many as 17 in the final minutes, up 60-43 with five minutes to go, and although the Bulldogs closed the game on an 11-7 run, LU was able to seal the 67-54 decision.

In addition to Coward and Smith, senior Erin Neal/Durham, N.C. added eight points in the victory, as well as a career- and game-high eight steals. As a team, the Lancers shot 39% (25-64) from the floor, including 26% (5-19) from beyond the arc, and 57% (12-21) from the line. Longwood's 10 wins so far this season marks the program's highest win total since its first season playing Division I in 2007-08 (16).

Asheville was led by Grace Blaylock and Kelli Riles with 18 and 14 points, respectively. As a whole, the Bulldogs shot 35% (17-48) from the field, 35% (6-17) from three-point territory and 88% (14-16) from the foul line. Asheville will play its next contest at Winthrop on March 2 beginning at 1 p.m.

Saturday's contest marked the fifth meeting ever between Longwood and Asheville in the sport of women's basketball. The Lancers now hold a 4-1 advantage in the all-time series.