Longwood University Athletics

Game 11: Longwood (3-7, 0-0 Big South) vs. American (6-3, 0-0 Patriot League)
Date & Time	Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021 | 3 p.m.
Location	Farmville, Va. (Willett Hall)
Game Notes	Longwood | American | Big South
Statistics	Longwood | American | Big South
Live Stats	Longwood Live Stats
Video/TV	ESPN+
Social Media	@LongwoodLancers | @LongwoodWBB

The Opening Tip:

• Longwood hosts American University to wrap up non-conference play as part of a daunting schedule through the team's first 11 games.
• Saturday's game will also be Longwood's first ever Cerebral Palsy Night, where the team will honor one of its own who has CP - Student Asst. Coach/Manager Justin Ratanataya.  
• Akila Smith continues to impress in her senior season after delivering another top notch defensive performance against Richomond. Smith stuffed the stat sheet with four blocks while adding three assists and 18 points against one of the top offensive unit in the A10.
• Anne-Hamilton LeRoy hit double-digits in the scoring column for her third time of the last four games for the Lancers.
• Despite the difficult non-conference schedule, the Lancers rank third in the Big South in points per game (66.2), their third straight season in the top three of the league.

 
By the Numbers:

• Longwood has faced the second-toughest non-conference schedule in the Big South through nine games, facing the 72nd toughest schedule in the nation.
• Despite the tough non-conference slate, teheLancers lead the Big South in blocks (48) and blocks per game (4.8) while ranking second in steals (92).
• The Lancers are now ranked third in assists (129) behind Campbell (135) and USC Upstate (146).
• Akila Smith has been one of the top shot blockers in the country this season. She ranks first in the Big South seventh nationally in blocks per game (3.1) and eighth in blocks (31).
• Tra'Dayja Smith is the leading passer in the Big South, ranking first in the league and in the top 20 nationally with 5.6 apg. In addition, Smith is ranked 13th in the country in free-throw percentage, shooting .926 from the free throw line.
• Longwood has at least one player ranked in the top five in six individual statistical categories in the Big South.
• Kyla McMakin and Akila Smith are ranked third and fourth in the Big South in scoring, the second straight season the duo are in the top five.
• Kennedy Calhoun has been a menace to opposing guards, tying for fourth in the Big South in steals per game (2.2) after racking up 22 steals in 10 games in her true freshman season.
• Akila Smith wrote her name in the Longwood record books again with her second career triple double, the third in team history, with a 20-point, 11-rebound, 10-block effort at Sam Houston on Nov. 30.
• Adriana Shipp also snatched up her second career double-double, first of the new season, with 10 points and 14 rebounds against Drexel.

Series History:

• This meeting will be the third in history, first time under Coach Tillett.
• It's been 14 years since the last meeting between the two teams, and it was only three years after the Lancers joined Division I.
• The most recent meeting between the Lancers and the Eagles was Longwood's season opener in 2007.
• This will be the final non-conference foe for Longwood before Big South play begins on Wednesday, Dec. 29

Quotables:
 
"We knew that the schedule would be tough. We're getting prepared for conference. That's what Coach Tillett is having us keep in mind. We keep learning throughout these games. It was good to be back in Willett even though we didn't get the win. We're still learning every game. That's what's important." – Senior Forward Akila Smith on the team's tough non-conference grind
 
"We showed our signature fight that people are used to seeing. We were down by a large margin and then just refused to let it stay in that place, which our women are known for. We put pressure on Richmond to make good plays down the stretch to win it, which they did." – Head Coach Rebecca Tillett on her team's second-half surge against Richmond

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