FARMVILLE, Va. – A pair of Hampton 20-point scorers in Laren Vanarsdale and Alyssa Sweeney outmatched the sixth game of the season of 20 or more points for Longwood's
Dayna Rouse, as dominant first-half display led Hampton past Longwood 86-70 Saturday afternoon inside Willett Hall.
Vanarsdale went point-for-point with Rouse to finish with 21 points, nine assists and Sweeney scored 11 of her 20 points in the second half, as the Pirates shot .508 from the floor to complete the season sweep over the Lancers. Ashley Bates, the Big South's second-leading scorer, finished with 18 points while Mahaley Holit added 10 points to join Vanarsdale and Sweeney in double figures.
Vanarsdale and Bates helped the Pirates outscore Longwood 53-26 in the opening half with 25 combined points, as Hampton started the game on a 12-3 run in the first 4:19 of the first quarter with the two combining for six points.
The win for the Pirates (14-11, 10-4 Big South) brings their two-game losing skid to an end as Hampton keeps pace with High Point for second-place in the Big South standings. The loss for Longwood (3-22, 2-13 Big South) is its third straight since winning two of four games.
"We showed some fight in the second half," said Longwood first-year head coach
Rebecca Tillett. "We didn't have the fight we needed in the first half and we allowed 27 points from the three point line alone. Of course, credit to them for knocking down shots.
"For us to comeback after halftime and score 44 points while limiting their ability to shoot the three gave us something to build upon as we move forward."
Rouse finished Saturday with an 8-of-15 effort from the floor and 4-of-5 free throws, as she added eight rebounds to finish two rebounds shy of her fifth double-double of the season. The junior added two assists, one block and one steal in her 34 minutes of playing time.
A product of Pittsburgh, Pa., Rouse's latest dominant effort comes on the heels of an 18-point game Tuesday night against UNC Asheville, as she has scored 15-plus points in each of Longwood's last five games and is averaging 19.2 points in that stretch.
Ranked among the top 20 in the NCAA in field-goal percentage and the Big South's most efficient player from the floor with her .598 shooting clip, Rouse is on pace to shatter Longwood's all-time single season field-goal percentage, bettering Kirsten Hillgaard mark of .578 during the 1993-94 season.
Ciarah Bennett joined Rouse in double figures with 12 points, while
Mallory Odell scored 11 points and added seven rebounds and
Khaila Hall contributed 10 on 3-of-5 shooting.
Sweeney scored 11 of her 20 points after the break, as Hampton took its largest lead of the game in the third quarter before Longwood outscored the Pirates by a 22-9 margin in the final quarter.
Longwood will begin a stretch that sees the Lancers play three of its final four games away from Willett Hall beginning Tuesday, Feb. 26 at High Point. That game is set for 7 p.m. inside the Millis Center.
"What has helped us improve in the second half of league play has been our commitment to playing better defense," Tillett said. "It failed us in the first three quarters tonight, so that's where we'll spend the bulk of our focus and preparation in getting ready for High Point."
#GoWood
