FARMVILLE, Va. - As the seconds ticked down, head coach Rebecca Tillett embraced senior Akila Smith as she left the court.

No words could quite capture how far they'd come. Three years ago around this time, they were finishing their first season together: three wins, 27 losses.

On Saturday in Willett Hall, they walked off the floor celebrating Longwood's first-ever Big South regular season championship. 

Smith had 29 points, seven blocks, seven rebounds and three steals as the Lancers pulled away to beat Hampton 76-62, prompting a raucous net-cutting ceremony. Next on the agenda, the Big South Tournament next week.Co-champion Campbell owns the tiebreaker and taking the No. 1 seed, while Longwood will enter next week seeded No. 2.

"I thought we could do it," Head Coach Rebecca Tillett said on Longwood's journey since she was first was named head coach four years ago. "I knew that there would be valleys, and challenges. It was the question of, 'do you have women like Akila, like Tra'dayja Smith, like Kyla (McMakin) to get the job done?'"

On Saturday, Longwood (18-11, 15-3 Big South) had Smith – and that was the difference. The senior from Orlando was a defensive menace who fueled a run late in the third quarter that put Longwood in the driver's seat against a determined Hampton (11-15, 7-9 Big South). 

"I was just in the zone," Akila Smith said. "I knew this would be an important win for our program, so I just gave it everything I could."
 
A magical year beyond their wildest dreams now rolls on for Longwood basketball fans. Three nights after the mens' team also clinched its first regular-season Big South title at home, the women followed suit. Now both programs are eyeing a possible first-ever NCAA Tournament bid. Combined, the two teams thrilled fans with 24 wins against just six losses in Willett this season.

It's hard to overstate just how far Longwood women's basketball has come, and how fast it's happened. Since joining Division I 15 years ago, Longwood had won as many as 10 games in a season just  three times. In Tillett's first season, 2018-19, the team she largely inherited managed just two conference wins among its three overall.

Tillett had a vision, a plan – and a pipeline of student-athletes who wanted to be part of building something special. With Smith and junior Kyla McMakin forming a foundation, alongside fellow captain and transfer student Tra'Dayaja Smith, the Lancers got better each year. Over the course of this season, they continued the growth and closed out with four straight wins to rally for a share of the league regular season title.

"We started from the bottom, did everything the coaches told us, and we elevated every year. I knew we would get to this point," said Smith. 

Akila and Tra'dayja Smith, who earned another season double-double with 10 points and 10 assists, were also honored in a pre-game ceremony for senior night. The third senior recognized was Netherlands Native Milou Venema, who had five points, two assists, and two steals. 

Longwood looked a little shaky early, but shifted into "championship gear" late in the first half. The Lancers pulled ahead 26-25 on an Akila Smith rebound, put-back with 3:51 left in the half. Back-to-back three-pointers by McMakin and Bri Johns, along with a Kennedy Calhoun steal and layup closed out the half on a 10-2 run and lead 34-27 at the break.

Hampton wouldn't quit, cutting what had been a 10-point lead down to four late in the third quarter. Leave it to A. Smith to crush their dreams of getting any closer to the Lancers lead. Smith blocked a shot then fed Tra'dayja for a 3-pointer to keep the home teams momentum growing. Akila Smith known for her swish in the paint, stepped behind the arch to drain her only three point attempt of the game just before the end of the third. To add to an emotional night, the forward who went 1-1 from three drew a celebratory mini-pile-on brought by her teammates who now could taste victory.

Lingering on the court for the net ceremony, Smith and her teammates took time to savor a moment that's been years in the making before they start preparing for the Big South Tournament next week. There, they'll have as good a shot as anyone to win three straight and keep the dream going straight into their first-ever NCAA Tournament.

"You always pause for a moment as a coach and think about all they've given, just the career flashing through their eyes," Tillett said, asked what she was thinking about at the final buzzer. "In those moments, you just hope we can play as long as possible together."

A historical, record-breaking, career high regular season for all Longwood Women's basketball program has concluded, and the teams shifts gears into the new season that begins next week. The Lancers first game of the Big South Tournament will be next Thursday, Mar. 3. 

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