HIGH POINT, N.C. – A 24-9 run over the opening 7:10 of the second half and a game-high 26 points from Big South Preseason First Team selection Kaylah Keys led High Point past Longwood, 79-68, Tuesday night in the Big South opener at the Millis Center.

The Panthers (2-6, 1-0 BSC) claimed a 19-point advantage late in the third quarter courtesy of a 24-9 run. The run was fueled by 10 straight points from Lindsay Edwards to give High Point its largest advantage of the game at 58-39.

"Somewhere in the middle of a very good basketball game, we lost our focus for a few minutes," said Longwood head coach Bill Reinson. "High Point hit a couple of shots in a row and we looked like we wanted to get all the points back at once. It doesn't work that way. We did some things uncharacteristically on defense and shot the ball quickly on offense."

However, the Lancers chipped away at the High Point lead and closed the margin to eight points on three different occasions, as Ciarah Bennett had seven of her 11 points come in the fourth quarter. However, the Lancers were unable to draw closer as Keys iced the game from the free-throw line for the Panthers, going 8-of-10 down the stretch.

"Once we settled down, we did a great job of slowing them down and attacking their defense," Reinson said. "At that point, it was too late."

Daeisha Brown led Longwood (1-5, 0-1 BSC) with 20 points in the game, marking the most points she has scored since matching her career-high 29 points in the 2014-15 season-opener at Wake Forest. Brown, who missed the final 27 games of last season with a torn ACL, finished the game 8-of-13 from the floor while adding a 4-of-8 performance from the free-throw line.

The game saw a matchup of two of the league's top guards in Brown and Keys. The two went bucket-for-bucket, as Keys' 26 points marked her second highest point total of the season following her 34-point effort against Davidson. The junior guard finished 8-of-15 from the field and went 8-of-10 from the foul line in the game's last two minutes.

Brown, a 2014-15 Big South Preseason Second Team selection had 12 of her 20 points come inside the painted area, as she slashed her way through the High Point defense. Brown's 20 points marks the most points scored by a Longwood player this season.The breakout performance from the Richmond, Va., product came on the heels of two straight games in double figures.

Brown was one of three Lancers to finish in double figures, as Kyndal Skersick finished with 11 points to notch her fourth straight game with 10+ points. Bennett also provided energy off the bench, finishing with 11 points , four rebounds, three assists, one steal and a block in 14 minutes. Eboni Gilliam had a game-high 11 boards to help Longwood enjoy a 49-37 advantage on the glass, while finishing with eight points.

For the Panthers, Keys and Edwards combined for 44 points, as Edwards finished with a season-high 18 points. In addition, Shea Morgan had 12 points off the High Point bench.

Longwood will look to bounce back and remain unbeaten at home Saturday, Dec. 5, as the squad hosts Presbyterian. The opening tip is set for 2 p.m., inside Willett Hall.

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