HAMPTON, Va. — Led by Nylah Young's 29 points, Hampton used four Pirate starters in double-figures to overcome three Lancers in double-figures and defend home court, 72-55.
Young, accompanied by the trio of Laren Vanarsdale, MaKayla Timmons, and Ashley Bates, finished with double-figure performances for Hampton (11-8, 7-3 Big South) to counteract Kyla McMakin's 13 points and 11 rebounds, the second double-double of her career.
Joining McMakin in double-figures and leading Longwood's (9-10, 5-5 Big South) offense with 16 points was fellow freshman Anne-Hamilton LeRoy. LeRoy shot 5-of-9 from the floor and added to her offensive performance with three steals for the Lancers. Senior Dayna Rouse fell three points shy of eclipsing 1,000 career points, finishing with 14 points on the night and added seven rebounds to her performance.
"I thought our women fought hard to the very end," said head coach Rebecca Tillett. "The final score does not represent how well we fought. Credit to Hampton, they forced us to do things that we typically handle well but did not handle well tonight. We turned the ball over 28 times and allowed 21 offensive rebounds. I do not believe we will turn the ball over 28 times again this season, so we have to regroup and get back to being tough on the boards."
Longwood and Hampton traded shots for much of the first half, and Hampton took a two-point advantage into the locker room over the Lancers, 37-35. Kyla McMakin contributed 10 of her 13 points in the first two frames, including four of the game's first six points for the Lancers. Longwood saw great success in the first half shooting 53 percent from the floor.
After the break, Hampton used timely runs and a 15 point half from Young to outscore the Lancers 35-20 in the final two frames. LeRoy led the Lancers offense after the break scoring eight of her 16 points. At the mid-point of fourth-quarter, Mallory Odell converted on a layup opportunity to cut the deficit to 10 points, but Hampton used a 14-7 run over the final six minutes of play to secure the victory.
For the second time in three games, the Big South Freshman of the Year contender finished with a double-double, scoring 10 of her 13 points in the first twenty minutes of play. McMakin completed the double-double battling for six rebounds after the break, coming one shy of matching her career-high, with 11 boards.
"We learned some things about us over the past two games, and we will turn our attention to UNC Asheville," Tillett added. "It will be interesting to see the adjustments that are made with such a quick turnaround."
Senior Dayna Rouse will have to wait seven days for another opportunity at recording her 1,000th career-point after finishing three points shy of the prestigious mark, with 14 points. Rouse added seven rebounds, and two assists to her offensive performance.
"We gave up a lot of rebounds and turnovers," said senior Dayna Rouse. "As a team, we never commit 28 turnovers, we were rattled for most of the game and didn't play as confident as we usually play. We need to stay encouraged. We are not a quitting team; we have learned that we can come back against a 15 point deficit. Going into the next few games and seeing everyone twice, we have to continue fighting and working on our defensive weaknesses."
Longwood will take a much deserved, seven-day break from the action, with the Lancers returning next Tuesday, February 4, in a rematch at UNC Asheville. The Bulldogs and Lancer's face-off for the second time with only one game separating their last matchup, when the Lancers defeated the Bulldogs 73-56 in Willett Hall.
"UNC Asheville is going to be more aggressive and out for revenge considering the first game," finished Rouse. "They will be at their home court, so they are going to play more confident, so going into that game we need to have a high level of focus and intense practices leading into the game, to replicate what we are going to be faced with when we are in Asheville."
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