BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Despite a 12-point fourth quarter by reigning Big South Freshman of the Year Kyla McMakin, preseason Big South favorite Campbell held on to beat the Lancers 55-54 Saturday afternoon at Gore Arena.
 
Trailing 52-42 with 4:47 remaining, McMakin took over for Longwood (5-7, 4-3 Big South) and scored 10 straight Lancer points, including a 8-0 run, to cut the lead to 55-52. Fellow sophomore Anne-Hamilton LeRoy hit two free throws with 37 seconds remaining to get within 55-54, but Longwood could not get a final shot off in the closing seconds after a defensive stop.

"I thought our women executed what we were trying to do," said Longwood head coach Rebecca Tillett. "I think we did some things to hopefully make them uncomfortable. I thought down the stretch, Taya Bolden made some huge plays in the fourth quarter. We answered with some of our own, but in the end it was a one possession, one point game."
 
McMakin, who ended with 23 points, six rebounds, and an assist, led all scorers in the contest. She was joined by Akila Smith, who recorded her NCAA-best eighth double-double of the season with 12 points and 15 rebounds.
 
Entering the game tied for the second-most blocks in the nation, Smith swatted seven more on Saturday afternoon, while adding a steal. LeRoy joined the pair as the third Lancer with double-digit points against the stout Campbell defense, dropping in 12 with four rebounds.
 
However, the big Longwood performances was not enough against Campbell (6-4, 3-2 Big South), which also had three players in double-figure scoring. Lauana Serranho and Taya Bolden led the Fighting Camels with 14 points each, while Shy Tuelle added 11 points. Bolden also added 10 rebounds, while Micalia Coleman added eight points and 13 rebounds.
 
Defense was the theme on both sides, with both squads holding the other to under .370 shooting from the field.  The Lancers held Campbell to just .270 from the field, their lowest opponent shooting percentage since holding Norfolk to just .292 on Feb. 5, 2019.

"From a defensive execution standpoint, I don't know if our women could have done it any better than we asked," added Tillett. "We held them to 27 percent shooting. They made a few more threes than they usually do, but I would say that's probably the only thing that could get better from today to tomorrow. 
 
The tight defense saw neither side score more than 17 points in a quarter, leading to a 39-39 deadlock at the start of the fourth. The Fighting Camels came out hot, opening the frame on a 13-3 run to take control of the game, 52-42.
 
However, McMakin and the Lancers responded with a furious run that fell just short. Over the next 2:08, Longwood went on an 8-0 run, all of which came from McMakin, who hit all three of her shots and a free throw to get the Lancers within two, 52-50. After a Camel long ball by Serranho, McMakin hit her fourth shot in a row to again pull the Lancers within three, 55-52.

"That was probably the most patient we were the whole game," said McMakin on their fourth quarter run. "There was no rush to take a shot-- the ball was moving around and we were waitng for the best opportunity and looking for the people that were hot."
 
After Lancer defensive stop, LeRoy drove into the paint to draw a foul, hitting both from the stripe to pull within just one, 55-54. Longwood forced another Camel miss with Smith corralling the rebound with just four seconds remaining, but the Lancers were unable to get off a game-winning attempt as time expired.

"This team, for the past two years, has that type of attitude and that type of fight back," said Tillett. "I think they showed that again today. I think Kyla's offensive stretch during that period was really confident, and she was patient with it to find the right shots."
 
The rematch with the Camels in the back-to-back set is set for tomorrow, Jan. 9 at 2 p.m.
 
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