RADFORD, Va. — An incredible display of offense from standout freshman Kyla McMakin was not enough for Longwood as Radford finished with four Highlanders in double-figures to defend home court and defeat Longwood, 88-76.
"Radford was the preseason favorite and No. 2 in the Big South standings for a reason," said head coach Rebecca Tillett. "They have been playing together for a while and are coming off a championship season. They are in a place we aspire to be as a program. We had a great second quarter and took the lead into halftime, and Radford came out aggressive in the third quarter, and we did not respond defensively. "
For the second time this season, the future Freshman of the Year in the Big South Conference finished with 30+ points as Kyla McMakin recorded 16 of her game-best 32 points in the final frame. McMakin accounted for half of the team's three-pointers, matching her career-best with six treys in the game, including a stretch of three-straight three-pointers in the fourth quarter for the freshman. Adding to an incredible performance, McMakin finished with five assists and zero turnovers in 39 minutes of action. Away from the ball, McMakin swiped three steals and gathered three rebounds for Longwood (10-14, 6-9 Big South).
"Equally impressive as Kyla McMakin's offensive production is her five assists and zero turnovers as a freshman," Tillett added. "She has the ability to share the ball and take care of it when she has the ball, and that is what makes her a special player. She tries to impact the game in every play."
Radford (13-11, 11-4 Big South) experienced success of their own behind the arc as the Highlanders converted 50 percent (10-of-20) of their three-point shots. Four Highlanders finished in double-figures with Khiana Johnson leading the way for Radford with 18 points. Joining Johnson in double-figures for the Highlanders off the bench was Makaila Wilson. Wilson was 4-of-5 from three, with 12 of her 14 points coming by way of the three-pointer. Amele Ngwafang and Jen Falconer also finished in double-figures for the Highlanders.
The loss is the fourth straight for the Lancers as Longwood is one game away from finishing a four-game stretch in which the Lancers faced the top-three teams in the Big South Conference. Longwood drops to 6-9 in conference play, and the four-game skid is the longest of the season for Longwood.
The Lancers opened play against Radford with the two teams trading baskets through the first frame, but Longwood took control of the half with a 17-2 run capped off by one of Kyla McMakin six treys to give Longwood an 11-point advantage over Radford just past the mid-point of the second frame. McMakin led all scorers in the first half of play with 14 points, including two three-pointers as Longwood shot an impressive 62 percent (5-of-8) from behind the arc before the break. Freshman Anne-Hamilton LeRoy joined fellow freshman McMakin with two treys in the half and All-Big South forward Dayna Rouse converted her second three-pointer of the season as the Lancers put on an impressive shooting display from behind the arc.
The Highlanders cut into Longwood's lead before the break with two treys of their own, including the third three-pointer of the half from Makaila Wilson to enter the locker room trailing the Lancers, 37-30.
After the break, Radford erased Longwood's seven-point advantage with a 7-0 run to begin action in the half. The Highlanders' leaned on Amele Ngwafang for offense with seven of her nine points in the third quarter coming at the free-throw line. LeRoy and Rouse combined for nine points as Radford outscored the Lancers 24-10 in the third quarter to take a 54-47 lead over Longwood entering the final frame of action.
The final frame of action between saw Longwood and Radford combine for 63 points with both teams scoring a team-high. Longwood fought to the final horn with McMakin scoring 16 of her 32 points in the quarter, but the Highlanders did not miss in the closing minutes. Radford converted 11-of-13 shots from the floor and 9-of-14 from the free-throw line to close out the victory over the Lancers, 88-76.
"We started strong with a great defensive mentality, and we came out ready to play," said freshman Kyla McMakin. "We fell back some in the third quarter and into a deficit that was too much to get out of, but we continued to fight to the end, and that shows we are a strong team that will not give up. We all had an aggressive mentality, and in the fourth quarter, we came out shooting and hit a lot of shots."
A defensive force for the Lancers all season, sophomore Akila Smith, continued to alter and block shots for the Lancers. Smith swatted a Highlander shot early in the second quarter to bring her season total to 57 blocks, breaking the single-season record for Longwood set in 2009-2010 by Chelsea Coward.
"Breaking the record means a lot to me because last season I did not have a good defensive year," said sophomore Akila Smith. "Being able to come into this season and break the record shows all the work I did this offseason and makes it worth it. This offseason, I worked on getting quicker and have tried to put more effort into every play. I know I have a long reach, and I try to be in the right position every play and get after every shot. Now I want to see if I can get the single-game record of 10 blocks in a game."
"It is incredible that she broke the single-season record for blocks," added Tillett. "We still have a few games left, so she will be able to add to her season total. Her development over the past year is incredible. She is a player that has committed to everything that our staff has asked her to do. She is just so eager to learn every day."
Joining McMakin in double-figures was Dayna Rouse with 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting, and her second three-pointer of the season. Rouse added to her performance with four rebounds and two blocks before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. Tra'Dayja Smith once again demonstrated why she is one of the best distributors not only in the Big South but in the nation as Smith finished with a team-high eight assists. Adding to her eight assists, Smith finished with eight points and four steals.
The Lancers will conclude their stretch of four-straight games in which Longwood faced No. 3 Hampton, No. 2 Radford, with a trip to Big South leading Campbell on February 22nd. Longwood will put its Big South leading offense to the test against the Fighting Camels who have the best defense in the Big South, holding opponents to 51.1 points per game. Tipoff between the Lancers and Fighting Camels is set for 2 p.m. inside Gilbert Craig Gore Arena.
"We are going to have to defend the three-point shot better against Campbell," finished Tillett. "You leave today's game with a level of confidence after being able to score on one of the top defenses in the league, but to be able to beat any of the teams at the upper-tier, we have to find a way to defend against them. We were certainly working hard to do that today, and we will continue to work really hard to defend against Campbell."
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