GAME NOTES (PDF) / TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Longwood University will play VMI on Thursday afternoon, March 7, at 2 p.m. during the quarterfinals of the
2013 VisitMyrtleBeach.com Big South Men's Basketball Championship. The Lancers upset two-time defending Big South Champion UNC Asheville 87-72 on March 5 in the first round and have a record of 8-24 overall, and are the number six seed from the North Division. The Keydets finished the regular season with a record of 13-16 overall and are the number two seed from the North Division, and received a first-round bye. 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 has won five of its last seven games against Big South schools, including the 87-72 upset of UNC Asheville in the first round of this championship on March 5. The Lancers are coached by 10th-year head coach Mike Gillian, and are led by
Tristan Carey (15.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 79 3FG),
Michael Kessens (13.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, 53% FG) and
Jeylani Dublin (10.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 51% FG).
David Robinson (9.0 points, 40 3FG),
Karl Ziegler (7.0 points) and
Lucas Woodhouse (4.8 points, 5.3 assists) have also been in the recent six-man rotation. The Lancers average 68.2 points, allowing 81.2 points, while shooting 44% (812-1839) from the field, including 32% (160-504) on three-point field goals (5.0) and 70% (400-568) at the free throw line.
Looking At VMI
VMI has won two of its last seven games against Big South schools, including a 94-80 home win against Longwood on March 2. The Keydets are coached by eighth-year head coach Duggar Baucom, and are led by Big South Player of the Year Stan Okoye (21.5 points, 9.2 rebounds), Big South Defensive Player of the Year D.J. Covington (14.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.0 blocks) and Rodney Glasgow (10.5 points, 4.9 assists). Brian Brown (8.9 points, 70 3FG), Tim Marshall (6.8 points), Nick Gore (5.1 points) and Phillip Anglade (3.1 points) have also been in the recent rotation. VMI averages 78.2 points, allowing 77.7 points, while shooting 44% (818-1882) from the field, including 33% (270-820) on three-point field goals (9.3) and 65% (362-559) at the free throw line.
Series History
Longwood and VMI are meeting for only the eighth time since first playing during the 1982-83 season. The Keydets lead the series, 5-2, including the recent 94-80 home win on March 2 (see below). VMI also won 93-60 in Farmville on February 6.
@VMI 94 - Longwood 80 / March 2 Recap
Stan Okoye had game-highs of 34 points and 16 rebounds to lead VMI to the victory at Cameron Hall on Senior Day for the Keydets.
Michael Kessens led six players in double-figures for Longwood with 17 points in the regular-season finale. The first seven shots made by the Keydets were three-pointers, including four from Okoye, though the lead was just 23-21 at 8:52 before VMI took control with a 16-0 run to lead 39-21 at 5:49. The outburst included three more three-pointers, two by Nick Gore, and five points from Okoye. The two teams played nearly even until halftime with the Lancers trailing 58-42. Longwood, however, refused to let things get out of hand as it had on Feb. 6 and closed to within 70-57 at 14:18 after a 12-4 run that began with a three-pointer from
Lucas Woodhouse and included five points by
Tristan Carey, who made a three-pointer at 16:37 for his first points. The Lancers were within 77-66 at 10:53 after a steal and layup by Carey, before VMI secured its home victory with a 17-8 run behind eight points from D.J. Covington to lead 94-74 at 2:41. Longwood scored the last six points of the contest to provide for the final margin.
Who's Hot?
Longwood … with five wins in its last seven games against Big South schools, averaging 77.0 points while shooting 48% (190-396) from the field, including 36% (38-105) on three-point field goals (5.4) and 79% (121-153) at the free throw line. The strong finish has been led by a six-man rotation of
Tristan Carey (19.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 21 3FG),
Michael Kessens (15.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 53% FG),
Jeylani Dublin (13.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 59% FG, 86% FT),
Lucas Woodhouse (10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 91%?FT),
Karl Ziegler (9.6 points, 51%?FG) and
David Robinson (8.1 points, 11 3FG, 83% FT). Woodhouse (38.6), Carey (36.4), Kessens (32.7), Robinson (31.9), Dublin (27.7) and Ziegler (23.9) have combined to play 1,338 of the 1,400 total minutes in the last seven games against league opponents. Even more impressive is the fact that these six players began the season with a combined total of only 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 (15.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists) has led Longwood in scoring this season, including a team-best 79 three-point field goals (2.5). He has scored in double-figures during 25 of the 32 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 (13.0 points, 8.6 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 six other games with nine or 10 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 30 of the 32 games (785 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 32 games overall. Dublin has 21 games with at least five rebounds.
The Art Of Passing
Lucas Woodhouse (4.8 points, 5.3 assists) has started 15 of the 32 games, including the last 14, during which he is averaging 7.9 points and 8.1 assists. He has already set a new school record for season assists, 171, 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 16 games with at least six assists, including 12-straight.
Working Hard To Get There
David Robinson (9.0 points, 40 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 15 points (4-8 3FG) against Asheville on March 5.
Coming Of Age
Karl Ziegler (7.0 points) has started two of the 32 games, while playing at least 10 minutes in every game, including 21 games with at least 20 minutes on the floor. He scored a career-high 17 points (9-9 FT) against Asheville on March 5, after posting back-to-back 14-point, seven-rebound games at UT Martin on Feb. 23, and at Campbell on Feb. 27, while scoring 13 points at VMI on March 2. Ziegler has nine double-figure scoring games and six games with at least five rebounds.
