FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood spent the entire 2020-21 season playing in a home gym devoid of spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
When fans  finally returned to Willett Hall for Friday night's home opener, the Lancers (1-1) made sure it was worth the wait.
 
Behind a double-double from Wake Forest and Virginia Tech transfer guard Isaiah Wilkins, Longwood blew out Virginia University of Lynchburg 80-46 for the program's largest margin of victory under fourth-year head coach Griff Aldrich and largest margin since a 90-52 win over Cairn on Dec. 28, 2015.
 
Playing in front of 1,418 spectators, the new-look Lancers showcased their depth and newly acquired talent with Wilkins contributing team highs of 19 points and 10 rebounds for his first collegiate double-double, junior forward Leslie Nkereuwem nearing a double-double of his own with eight points and 10 rebounds, and redshirt sophomore swingman Nate Lliteras scoring 12 points in just 13 minutes off the bench.
 
The 6-4, 215-pound Wilkins led Longwood on the offensive end throughout, finishing 8-of-15 from the floor with five offensive rebounds in his second game with the Lancers. He scored 12 of those points in a runaway second half in which the Lancers outscored the Dragons 48-24 and engineered game-breaking runs of 15-3 and 9-0.
 
"When we got out in the first half, the truth is there weren't that many possessions," Aldrich said. "On top of that, it was always a jumper, and [Virginia-Lynchburg] were sending three or four guys back [to slow Longwood's transition]. In the second half, everything broke loose and we were getting up and down at will."
 
For the game, Longwood scored 12 points on fast breaks and a 27-2 advantage scoring off turnovers, including a four-minute stretch late in the second half that featured dunks on five of nine possessions – with two apiece from Lliteras and Nkereuwem and another from senior Zac Watson.
 
Sparking those runs and interior advantages was a revitalized defensive effort that after halftime turned Virginia-Lynchburg over 10 times.
 
"I thought we were better defensively in the second half," Aldrich said. "In the first half, we weren't aggressive enough in our switches, and they're basically only making you play 10 seconds. We lost our man a couple times, and that's inexcusable when you're only playing 10 seconds. In the second half we did a much better job, and all the shots were really contested. That turned into a lot more missed shots and opportunities for us to run. When we got those opportunities, the game spread out and they had to get out of their stall game."
 
To maintain that pace, the Lancers deployed 14 plas and got eight of those double-digit minutes, including a game-high 26 from Big South Preseason All-Conference Team selection Justin Hill and Nkereuwem. Hill paired with graduate transfer point guard Jordan Perkins to dish seven assists with just two turnovers, while College of Charleston transfer guard DA Houston racked up a career-high seven assists off the bench.
 
Twelve Lancers hit a field goal on the night, while Longwood assisted on 20 of its 31 made baskets.
 
"I thought mentally they stayed focused," Aldrich said. You can get really frustrated when your shots aren't going down. You just fall asleep, don't compete at the same level because things aren't going well for you offensively. They didn't do that. I thought they stayed focused, and I thought if anything they got more locked in as the game went on."
 
Virginia-Lynchburg guard Dominique Williams carried the Dragons offense with 24 points on 11-of-19 shooting while playing all 40 minutes. However, those contributions did little to slow down Longwood's second-half surge which saw them shoot 19-of-37 (.514) from the field to Virginia-Lynchburg's 9-of-26 (.346).
 
The win marks the start of a five-game homestand for the Lancers, who will host Mid-Atlantic Christian Sunday at 3 p.m. and then gear up for three games in three days against American, UMBC and Western Carolina at the Jerome Kersey Classic on Nov. 19-21.
 
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