The Opening Tip
• Longwood is off to its best start since transitioning to the Division I level, with a 13-5 record that includes a 5-0 start to conference play.
• The Lancers are the lone remaining unbeaten team in the Big South, with the team's current five-game conference winning streak the second time the team has done so under head coach
Griff Aldrich.
• Longwood has also won six straight for the first time since the 2008-09 season that saw them win seven straight as a DI independent.
• Longwood boasts the league's top scoring outfit and second-best defensive unit by points allowed per game.
• The Lancers are in the midst of a busy stretch that will see the team play five games in 10 days. The stretch started with Campbell on Wednesday, Jan. 19 and will end when Longwood hosts Winthrop on Saturday, Jan. 29.
Last Time Out
• Longwood's defense was suffocating at Hampton on Monday night, powering the way to the team's largest conference win in the NCAA Division I era as the Lancers won 73-48.
• The Lancers held Hampton to .357 shooting from the floor and .280 in the first half.
• Over the final 18 minutes of the first half, Longwood outscored Hampton 37-12, erasing a 5-2 Hampton lead to take a 39-17 lead at the break.
•
Justin Hill led the way on offense with a game-high 20 points, the third time in five games he has had at least 20 for the Lancers.
•
Isaiah Wilkins added 13 points for Longwood, and nine players scored in the game for Longwood. Eight players recorded points in the first half.
• Najee Garvin led Hampton with 15 points, but Longwood's defense held the Pirates in check after extending the lead to double digits.
By The Numbers
• Longwood's offense has been one of the top outfits in the Big South sharing the basketball all season. The Lancers lead the league with 15.3 assists per game. Point guard
Justin Hill ranks fourth in the league in assists per game (3.9).
• Longwood has totaled more assists than turnovers in 13 of 18 games this season. The Lancers' 12.7 turnovers per game rank as the third-fewest in the Big South, and the team leads the Big South in turnover margin (+2.4).
• Longwood's bench is contributing 31.8 points per game, with 10.4 of those coming from
Leslie Nkereuwem. Nkereuwem leads the Big South in scoring off the bench.
• The Lancers lead the Big South in scoring offense (78.3 points per game) and rank second in scoring defense (63.4 points allowed per game). Longwood is one of three Big South schools ranked among the league's top five in both categories. Longwood leads the conference in scoring margin with an average of +14.8 points per game.
•
DeShaun Wade has hit a three-pointer in 16 of 18 games this season.
Nate Lliteras has accomplished the feat in 15 of 17.
• Longwood has excelled on its home court under fourth-year head coach
Griff Aldrich, amassing a 36-17 record in Willett Hall during his tenure. That includes a 10-1 mark this season, an 8-5 record in 2020-21, an 8-6 record in 2019-20 and a 10-5 mark in 2018-19.
• Only six teams have scored more than 65 points  against Longwood. The Lancers have held six teams to 55 points or fewer.
• The Lancers' +8.3 rebounding margin ranks 16th nationally, while their 12.9 offensive rebounds per game are second in the league.
Quotables
"We had a real focus on execution both offensively and defensively. And I thought that, absent the first minute and a half of the game where we started a little sluggish, I thought we put together a real dominant performance on the defensive end which led to a lot of our transition baskets and good offensive possessions. I really thought the guys played with purpose tonight, and I think it really showed."— Longwood head coach Griff Aldrich at Hampton
Series History
• The two teams have met in non-conference play in each of the past two seasons, with each side winning on its home court.
• N.C. A&T won 52-41 on Dec. 4, 2019 in Greensboro, N.C. while holding Longwood to one of its worst shooting nights of the 2019-20 season.
• Longwood won the matchup last season 77-60 in Farmville, Va. as three players hit double digits.
Christian Wilson had 15 and
Juan Munoz and
Nate Lliteras each added 13 as the Lancers shot better than 50 percent from the floor.
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