FARMVILLE, Va. – Led by 26 points from senior Dayna Rouse, four Lancers scored in double figures to lead Longwood to an 80-70 win over Gardner-Webb in the Big South opener Saturday afternoon in Willett Hall.

The win is Longwood's first in a Big South opener since the 2012-13 season and saw the Lancers (5-5, 1-0) lead for all but 37 seconds of the game. Rouse, the 6-0 forward and Preseason All-Big South preseason selection, was dominant from the start and finished 9-of-15 from the field and 8-of-8 from the free throw line while adding nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals.

Joining Rouse in double figures was junior point guard Tra'Dayja Smith with 17 points and fellow starters Akila Smith and Kyla McMakin with 13 points each. Smith was dominant on the defensive end of the floor with five blocks and five steals, while McMakin also swiped five steals.

Longwood forced Gardner-Webb (5-5, 0-1 Big South) into 25 turnovers and turned those opportunities into 25 points. The Runnin' Bulldogs shot just .357 (20-of-56) from the floor and .267 (4-of-15) from three-point range.

"I thought our women were tough today," said Longwood head coach Rebecca Tillett. "Gardner-Webb is an aggressive team, and it is a great matchup every time we match up against them every time since I have been at Longwood. Both programs use great schemes, and they had a way to speed us up offensively, and I thought our women responded to the challenge."

The win is Longwood's third straight and improves the Lancers to 4-1 on their home court in year two under Tillett.

McMakin scored six of her first half eight points in the second quarter, and Smith knocked down 3-of-4 shots from the floor for six of her 17 total points, as the duo combined for 12 of Longwood's 18 points in the quarter. Gardner-Webb chipped into the Lancers lead in the second quarter, outscoring Longwood 20-18 in the frame, behind the offensive spark of Gardner-Webb's Jhessyka Williams seven points in the quarter, and Alexis Hueston's 10 points in the first half. 
 
The Lancers entered the locker room with a four-point advantage over their Big South foe, shooting 42 percent (15-of-35) from the floor, and 88 percent (8-of-9) from the free-throw line. 
 
Longwood and Gardner-Webb battled through the third quarter with the Runnin' Bulldogs keeping the Lancers within five points through 30-minutes of action. Rouse and Tra'Dayja Smith combined for 12 of the Lancers 17-points in the quarter. 
 
Rouse paced the Lancers offense with ten points, shooting a perfect 4-4 from the free-throw line, in the final ten minutes of action as Longwood secured their fifth victory of the season and extended their winning streak to three games. 

Rouse's 26 points gave her the team scoring lead for the fifth time this season and extendd a run of success against Gardner-Webb that also includes 34 points in Longwood's overtime win over the Runnin' Bulldogs last season. In her past four games against Gardner-Webb, Rouse is averaging 24.5 points per game. 

"It is great for Dayna this time of the year," Tillett said. "The offensive performance was great, and our team needed it tonight, but we have constantly been challenging Dayna on her leadership. She is a senior who has accomplished individual achievements but she really wants to accomplish team achievements. For us to get our first Big South to win against a Gardner-Webb team that was picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll is a big accomplishment for our program and for Dayna, who led us up to the last layup of the game." 
 
Tra'Dayja Smith, who entered the contest ranked eighth in Division I averaging 6.3 assists per game, finished one point shy of her career-high with 17-points, shooting 6-of-13 from the court while recording four assists, and four rebounds. 

"They are an excellent team; we have not faced a team that tried to trap us like that all season," Smith said. "Their press was something different and new, and in the second half, we came out and executed better against their press by making the right adjustments.

"Coach Tillett always focuses on team chemistry and how to build chemistry, which has helped us throughout non-conference and as we enter Big South play. Coach talks about sharing the ball on offense and hitting the open person, and as a team, we have bought into that philosophy." 

Longwood was equally dominant on the defensive end, amassing eight blocks for the third time this season along with a season-high 14 steals. 

"It was a total team effort to limit Gardner-Webb's offense," Tillett continued. "I think Tra'Dayja Smith, Akila Smith, and Kyla McMakin had to do a lot defensively. Our post players had to be ready to help defensively and they were. It was exciting to see a total defensive effort.

"Akila is a difference-maker on defense. She started the game with the attitude you want to start Big South Conference play with as she made several big plays to start the game. She stayed consistent and responded well to tough coaching. Akila has put in the work; she has earned everything she has accomplished."

Longwood will take its three-game winning streak on the road against Presbyterian next Saturday, Jan. 4, in a bid to open Big South play 2-0 for the second time in program history. Tipoff against Presbyterian is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Clinton, S.C.
 
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