GAME NOTES (PDF) / TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Longwood University will play two-time defending Big South Conference Champion UNC Asheville on Tuesday afternoon, March 5, at 2 p.m. during the first-round of the
2013 VisitMyrtleBeach.com Big South Men's Basketball Championship. The Lancers finished their regular season with a record of 7-24 overall, 4-12 in the Big South, and are the number six seed from the North Division. The Bulldogs finished the season with a record of 16-15 overall, 10-6 in the Big South, and are the number three seed from the South Division. The game will be played at the HTC Center on the campus of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina and can be heard locally on WVHL Radio, Kickin' Country 92.9 FM, as well as via the Internet at
wvhl.net.
Looking At Longwood
Longwood finished the regular season with four wins in its last six conference games, including three-straight before the league finale on the road at VMI on March 2 (L 94-80). The Lancers are coached by 10th-year head coach Mike Gillian, and are led by
Tristan Carey (15.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 76 3FG),
Michael Kessens (13.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 53% FG) and
Jeylani Dublin (10.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 51% FG).
David Robinson (8.8 points, 36 3FG),
Karl Ziegler (6.6 points) and
Lucas Woodhouse (4.5 points, 5.3 assists) have also been in the recent six-man rotation. The Lancers average 67.6 points, allowing 81.5 points, while shooting 44% (785-1782) from the field, including 31% (152-485) on three-point field goals (4.9) and 69% (375-542) at the free throw line.
Looking At UNC Asheville
UNC Asheville finished the regular season with one win in its last five conference games, and lost its league finale on the road at Winthrop on March 2 (70-61). The two-time defending Big South Champion Bulldogs are coached by 17th-year head coach Eddie Biedenbach, and are led by Jeremy Atkinson (17.7 points, 7.0 rebound) and Keith Hornsby (15.1 points, 50 3FG). Trent Meyer (9.9 points, 64 3FG), Will Weeks (9.0 points, 5.3 rebounds), D.J. Cunningham (7.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 blocks) and Jon Nwannunu (7.1 points) have also been in the recent rotation. Asheville averages 71.7 points, allowing 68.6 points, while shooting 45% (798-1759) from the field, including 34% (153-451) on three-point field goals (4.9) and 71% (475-665) at the free throw line.
Series History
Longwood and UNC Asheville are meeting for just the fourth time since first playing during the 1985-86 season. The Bulldogs lead the series, 3-0, including a 68-65 home win this season on January 19 (see below). Asheville also won the two games played 27 years ago, including a 65-62 win in Virginia on December 9, 1985 and a 61-52 win in North Carolina on Jan. 6, 1986.
@UNC Asheville 68 - Longwood 65 / January 19 Recap
Jeremy Atkinson scored 17 points, including the go ahead free throw with 35.3-seconds left, to lead UNC Asheville to the victory at Kimmel Arena.
David Robinson led Longwood with a game-high 20 points, but the visitors missed a layup and two three-point field goal attempts in the final minute. The Bulldogs got two free throws from Trent Meyer with 18.7-seconds remaining to secure the win. Asheville led 60-53 with 10:11 left before the Lancers tied it at 64-64 with 2:07 to go on a jumper from
Lucas Woodhouse. Atkinson made 1-2 free throws at 1:59, and
Michael Kessens made 1-2 free throws at 1:41, leaving it tied at 65-65. Following a defensive stop, Robinson missed a three-pointer with 51-seconds left, before Atkinson made the free throw at :35.3. Woodhouse missed a floater in the lane with 21-seconds to play, and Meyer made his two free throws at :18.7. After timeouts by both teams,
Tristan Carey got a good look from the left wing in three-point territory that was off iron with two-seconds left and rebounded by the hosts as the clock expired.
Who's Hot?
Longwood … with four wins in its last six Big South games, averaging 75.3 points while shooting 48% (163-339) from the field, including 35% (30-86) on three-point field goals (5.0) and 76% (96-127) at the free throw line. The strong finish has been led by a six-man rotation of
Tristan Carey (18.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 18 3FG),
Michael Kessens (16.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 53% FG),
Jeylani Dublin (14.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 59% FG, 82% FT),
Lucas Woodhouse (9.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 88% FT),
Karl Ziegler (8.3 points, 51% FG) and
David Robinson (7.0 points, 7 3FG, 88% FT). Woodhouse (38.3), Carey (37.2), Kessens (33.5), Robinson (30.7), Dublin (28.2) and Ziegler (23.3) have combined to play 1,147 of the 1,200 total minutes in the last six league games. Even more impressive is the fact that these six players began the season with a combined total of five years of collegiate playing experience … Carey is a junior (two), Robinson is a junior (two), Dublin is a redshirt-sophomore (one), while Kessens, Woodhouse and Ziegler are each freshmen.
Determined To Lead
Tristan Carey (15.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists) has led Longwood in scoring this season, including a team-best 76 three-point field goals (2.5). He has scored in double-figures during 24 of the 31 games, and has 16 games with at least five rebounds. Carey has the team's seven highest scoring individual games this year, including a career-high 40 points against Liberty on Feb. 19, 31 points against Radford on Feb. 16 and 30 points against FAMU on Nov. 23, along with four other games of at least 23 points. In addition, he enjoyed two excellent games during the 2012 Continental Tire/Las Vegas Invitational on Nov. 23-24 in Las Vegas at the Orleans Arena, averaging 24.5 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 58% (18-31) from the field that included an impressive 67% (12-18) on three-pointers. Carey was named the Big South/Choice Hotels Player of the Week on February 25 (see elsewhere), and to the 2012 Continental Tire/Las Vegas Invitational All-Tournament Team (see elsewhere).
Smooth European Import
Michael Kessens (13.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 53% FG), from Nyon, Switzerland, has been impressive while scoring in double-figures in 24 of the 31 games with 10 double-doubles: 17 points, 15 rebounds against Norfolk State on Nov. 15; 17 points, 11 rebounds at Arkansas on Nov. 18; 14 points, 16 rebounds against FAMU on Nov. 23 in Las Vegas; a career-high 20 points, 14 rebounds against Cornell on Nov. 24 in Las Vegas; 18 points, a career-high 17 rebounds against Central Penn on Nov. 28; 16 points, 11 rebounds against Southern Virginia on Dec. 13; 12 points, 10 rebounds against Coastal Carolina on Jan. 5; 16 points, 11 rebounds at UNC Asheville on Jan. 19; 14 points, 14 rebounds against High Point on Feb. 13; and 11 points, 14 rebounds at UT Martin on Feb. 23. He has five other games with nine rebounds, and has been named The Crons Brand/Big South Freshman of the Week four times (see elsewhere).
Perseverance Pays Off
Jeylani Dublin (10.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 51% FG) only played in 29 games totaling 148 minutes during his first two years. He missed the final 22 games last year with a broken hand and received a medical hardship waiver from the NCAA. Dublin has started 29 of the 31 games (760 minutes) this season, scoring a career-high 19 points at No. 12 Creighton on Nov. 20. He has three double-doubles: 11 points, 11 rebounds vs. FAMU on Nov. 23 in Las Vegas; 12 points, 10 rebounds at Canisius on Dec. 17; and 14 points, a career-high 12 rebounds at VMI on March 2. He has scored in double-figures in 18 of the 31 games overall. Dublin has 20 games with at least five rebounds.
The Art Of Passing
Lucas Woodhouse (4.5 points, 5.3 assists) has started 14 of the 31 games, including the last 13, during which he is averaging 7.2 points and 8.2 assists. He has already set a new school record for season assists, 164, surpassing the 147 assists by Ryan Earl during 2002-03. Woodhouse has five double-figure assist games: at Radford (10) on Jan. 16, at UNC Asheville (11) on Jan. 19, against Radford (11) on Feb. 16, against Liberty (10) on Feb. 19 and at UT Martin (11) on Feb. 23. He posted double-doubles at Radford (12 points, 10 assists) on Jan. 16, against Radford (12 points, 11 assists) on Feb. 16 and at UT Martin (10 points, 11 assists) on Feb. 23. Woodhouse has 15 games with at least six assists, including 11-straight.
Working Hard To Get There
David Robinson (8.8 points, 36 3FG) played his finest two games of the season back on Nov. 28 and Dec. 1 when he averaged 19.0 points while shooting 62% (16-26, 4-10 3FG) at home against Central Penn (17 points) and Dartmouth (career-high 21 points). More recently, Robinson had 20 points (4-6 3FG), including 15 in the first half, at UNC Asheville on Jan. 19, and 16 points (5-7 FT) against Presbyterian on Jan. 26.
Coming Of Age
Karl Ziegler (6.6 points) has started two of the 31 games, while playing at least 10 minutes in every game, including 20 games with at least 20 minutes on the floor. He has posted career highs of 14 points and seven rebounds at UT Martin on Feb. 23, and again at Campbell on Feb. 27, while posting 13 points at VMI on March 2, 13 points against Liberty on Feb. 19 and 12 points at Liberty on Jan. 22. Ziegler has eight double-figure scoring games and six games with at least five rebounds.
The Three-Point Stat
Longwood has made at least one three-point field goal in 331 consecutive games, dating back to a road game at Division II Lenoir-Rhyne (11.26.02, 0-6), including a school-record 20 three-pointers made at home against VMI (12.12.11, 20-40). The streak, however, was in jeopardy a year ago against UMKC (11.26.11, 1-13) during the 2011 Chicago Invitational Challenge. The Lancers have made 152 three-pointers (4.9) this year, including a season-high, nine three-pointers three times, most recent against Liberty (9-23) on Feb. 19. The season-low is one made three-pointer, that has occurred twice, at home against Southern Virginia on Dec. 13 (1-8) and again at home against High Point on Feb. 13 (1-10).
