Longwood University Athletics

FARMVILLE, Va. – The Big South Conference announced earlier this evening that Longwood freshman Kyla McMakin had been named Co-Freshman of the Week for the Big South Conference, splitting the honor with Nylah Young from  Hampton University. 
 
The honor marks the seventh time this season that Kyla McMakin has earned the recognition of Freshman of the week. McMakin is only the sixth woman in Big South women's basketball history to be awarded the weekly honor seven times or more in a single season. She is one weekly honor shy of matching the conference record of eight Freshman of the Week honors set by Keyen Green of Liberty in 2016-17. 
 
The seventh honor for McMakin brings Longwood season total of weekly honors from the Big South Conference to 10 this season. All-Big South Dayna Rouse and fellow freshman Anne-Hamilton LeRoy join McMakin as Lancers to have received a weekly honor from the league office this season. 
 
As the season winds down and comes to a close, Kyla McMakin had her best week to date, despite Longwood falling short against the top two teams in league play, Radford and Campbell. McMakin recorded her second 30+ point performance of the season, with 32 points against the Highlanders of Radford, backed up by a 20-point performance against Campbell's No. 1 defense in the Big South. Throughout the week of playing top competition, McMakin rose to the occasion, averaging 26.0 points per game for the Lancers, raising her conference-best average to 18.4 points per game. 
 
Against Radford, McMakin took over the final quarter of action for the Lancers, scoring 16 of her 32 points in the closing minutes. McMakin matched her career-best with six three-pointers in the contest, including a run of three-straight treys in the final frame. Adding to her offensive performance, McMakin distributed five assists, with zero turnovers in 39 minutes of action. Away from the ball, McMakin battled for three rebounds on the defensive end and swiped three steals from the Highlanders. 
 
Campbell's defense is one of the best in the nation, holding opponents to an average of 51 points per game. McMakin led Longwood's offensive success that resulted in a season-high against the Fighting Camels with 76 points in the loss. McMakin finished with a game-high 20 points, finding success at the free-throw line, converting on 12-of-13 shots from the stripe.
 
The frontrunner for Freshman of the Year, Kyla McMakin, continues to lead the Big South Conference in scoring averaging 18.4 points per game, with her best numbers coming against conference opponents. In league play, McMakin is averaging three points per game higher than the next best scorer, at 19.5 points per game. Away from the ball, McMakin ranks fifth in the Big South in steals, averaging 2.1 per game, leading the Lancers with 52 steals. 
 
McMakin's 461 points scored this season is 24 points shy of breaking the all-time single-season freshman scoring record at Longwood set 2000-2001 by Marita Meldere. Breaking the single-season freshman scoring record would move McMakin to fifth in program history for most points scored in a single season by a Lancer. 
 
Longwood returns home to Willett Hall after a three-game stretch in which the Lancers competed against the top-three teams in the Big South. With the return to Willett Hall, the Lancers welcome the Eagles of Winthrop University on February 25 with the hope of splitting the season series. Tipoff between Longwood and Winthrop is set for 7 p.m. on Jerome Kersey Court.