Box Score

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Sophomore Daeisha Brown/Richmond tied a career-high with 29 points to help the Longwood University women's basketball team mount a late second-half comeback and earn a 78-71 victory at Big South Conference opponent Charleston Southern University (4-9, 1-4) on Saturday afternoon. The Lancers, who trailed by 16 with 10:34 to play in the contest, battled back with a game-changing, 26-9 run that gave the squad its first lead of the day at 71-70 with just over two minutes remaining. Sophomore Deborah Headen/Herndon tied a career high with 16 points and set a new personal best with four three-point field goals, three of which came during the team's comeback efforts in the final 10 minutes. Redshirt-senior Header Tobeck/La Porte, Texas paced the Lancers on the boards with a game-high 10 rebounds in the decision. Longwood (5-9, 2-4) will return home to Farmville to host Big South opponent UNC Asheville on Thursday, January 9 at 7 p.m. in Willett Hall.

"The ladies really battled today," said head coach Bill Reinson. "Charleston Southern couldn't miss in the first half and we struggled to score. In the second half, we played Longwood basketball. We pressured defensively and ran in transition. It was exciting to watch. We had a great road trip and hopefully we can continue our improvement."

The Lady Bucs opened the game with a 13-0 run before Brown knocked down a pair of jumpers for the Lancers' first two field goals. Anicia Dotson completed a three-point play for CSU, but Longwood followed with five of the next eight points, thanks to a jumper from beyond the arc by sophomore Kyndal Skersick/Orlando, Fla. to make it a nine-point difference at 18-9 with less than 13 minutes remaining in the first half. A trio of threes over the next three minutes helped Charleston Southern put together a 9-4 run and take a 27-13 advantage at 9:47. Longwood answered with six-straight points, including a deep three from the corner by freshman Brenna Robbins/Erie, Pa. and a fast-break layup by Brown to pull within eight at 7:04. The Lancers would pull as close as eight just once more in the half, at 29-21 with six minutes left, but the Lady Bucs ended the half with a 15-7 surge to take a 44-28 margin into the break.

The Lancers turned things around in the second half, outscoring the Lady Bucs, 50-27, in the final 20 minutes of play. The visitors got off to an aggressive start with a jumper from sophomore Raven Williams/Richmond and a three from the wing by Headen in the first minute. The Lady Bucs retaliated with a 10-4 spurt to take a 17-point edge, their largest of the night, at 54-37 with 14:02 to go. The teams traded baskets over the next four minutes, with Brown tallying all five of the Lancers points during the stretch, giving CSU a 60-44 margin. Robbins hit a three-pointer to spark the Lancers' turnaround and 13 unanswered points, as Longwood made it a one-possession game at 60-57, aided by back-to-back threes from Headen. The home squad would not make things easy, quickly regaining an 11-point edge with just over six minutes to play. Longwood dug deep and turned in a 12-2 run to take its first lead at 70-69 with less than three minutes remaining. Charleston Southern knotted the score at 71-71, but the Lancers scored the final seven points of the game to seal the 78-71 victory.

Brown logged a personal-best 11 field goals en route to her 29 points. She added five assists, along with Williams, who had five of her own. As a team, the Lancers shot 48% (29-61) from the floor, including 36% (8-22) from beyond the arc, and 80% (12-15) from the line in the outing.

Dotson notched 25 points to lead the Lady Bucs. As a whole, Charleston Southern shot 35% (21-60) from the field, 40% (12-30) from three-point territory and 74% (17-23) from the foul line.

Saturday's contest marked the sixth meeting ever between Longwood and Charleston Southern in the sport of women's basketball. The Lancers now lead the all-time series, 5-1.