The Opening Tip
• Longwood opens their February slate and continue Big South play as they host Charleston Southern for a back-to-back set.
• Longwood comes into the series having won six of its past eight games, splitting a series with Campbell and Presbyterian in that stretch.
• The Lancers have tied a program best with eight Big South wins, the second straight season the team has tallied the total under head coach
Rebecca Tillett. The team also won eight Big South games in its first season in the league in 2012-13.
• Longwood holds an 8-3 record inside Willett Hall, including 7-1 in conference play.
• Longwood has used the same starting five in all 17 games this season. The five starters all average more than 25 minutes and eight points per game.
•
Akila Smith broke Longwood's career blocks record in the series finale against Presbyterian, breaking
Heather Tobeck's record of 158 with a block in the first quarter. The junior now holds the single season (73) and career blocks (162) records.
Last Time Out
• Powered by 17 points from Maleia Bracone, five double-digit scorers and a runaway fourth quarter, Presbyterian spoiled a record-breaking night for Longwood's do-it-all junior forward
Akila Smith and dealt the Lancers a 77-56 loss in Willett Hall.
• Smith entered the game in need of just one block to break the record and recorded four for good measure, including three in a row in a span of five seconds in the third quarter. However, the 5-11 forward fouled out with 6:33 to play and Longwood trailing 52-49, and Presbyterian took advantage of her absence with a game-ending 25-7 run.
• Tionna Carter scored eight of her 14 points during that rally to join Bracone, Trinity Johnson (13 points), Nyah Willis (11) and Jade Compton (11) in double-digit scoring as the Blue Hose avenged Longwood's 73-66 comeback win in the first meeting Friday night and snapped an eight game home winning streak for Longwood, giving them their first loss in Willett Hall in conference play.
By The Numbers
• Longwood's offense ranks second in the Big South in scoring at 69.5 points per game. The Lancers have scored at least 80 points five times, going 4-1, with three of the four wins being by double digits. The team scored at least 80 only three times in 2019-20.
• The Lancers have pounded the offensive glass, ranking second in the Big South with 14.7 offensive boards per game.
• Thanks to the focus on offensive rebounding, Longwood has piled up 229 second-chance points across 17 games thanks to 250 offensive rebounds.
•
Akila Smith leads the charge to the offensive glass for the Lancers. Her 4.0 offensive rebounds per game rank T-20th nationally and second in the Big South. She has grabbed 10 offensive rebounds in a game three times this season. She is one of four players on the team to have at least 20 offensive boards, with
Brooke Anya (23),
Mallory Odell (22) and
Kyla McMakin (22) joining her.
• Smith also gobbles up defensive rebounds at a high rate and is 13th the nation in total rebounds (181) while leading the Big South in rebounds per game (10.6). That rebounding prowess coupled with a deft touch around the basket has allowed her to rack up nine double-doubles, the tenth most in the nation.
• On defense, the Lancers are active and disruptive. They are 11th in the nation in total blocks with 97 and lead the Big South with 5.7 blocks per game while ranking fourth in the conference with 8.4 steals per game.
• Smith anchors the back line of that defense and is third in the nation in total blocks (65) while ranking third in blocks per game (3.8). She has had at least four blocks in a game eight times this season now has 162 career blocks, surpassing
Heather Tobeck's career record of 158.
• Three players rank in the top 10 in the Big South in steals per game:
Akila Smith (2.1, third),
Kyla McMakin (1.6, ninth) and
Tra'Dayja Smith (1.5, 10th).
• On the season, Longwood has scored 274 points off turnovers, which translates to 23.2 percent of the team's points. Against ETSU, Longwood forced 32 turnovers, the most in a single game in the team's three seasons under head coach
Rebecca Tillett.
• The Lancers also boast the one of the top turnover margins in the Big South, thanks to an offense that turns the ball over a league-low 14.4 times per game coupled with a defense that forces 16.5 turnovers per game (fifth in the league). Senior point guard
Tra'Dayja Smith keys the offense, leading the Big South with 4.6 assists per game while posting a 1.3 assist to turnover ratio.
• Longwood has been lights out from the free throw line this season. The team leads the Big South with a .775 shooting percentage (224-289) from the charity stripe.
Kyla McMakin sits second on the leaderboard after shooting .887 (63-71), with
Anne-Hamilton LeRoy two spots behind her in fourth (.813, 65-80).
Series History
• The Bucs and Lancers face off for the 22nd time in program history, and the fifth time under coach Tillett.
• The Lancers have won the last two against Charleston Southern, sweeping the season series in 2019- 20.
• In their two wins a season ago, the Lancers averaged 73.5 points while allowing just 58.0 in the contests.
• Longwood's then-freshmen pair of
Kyla McMakin and
Anne-Hamilton LeRoy were excellent in the pair of victories, as McMakin totaled 30 points and LeRoy added 28.
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