FARMVILLE, Va. – The Longwood Lancers women's basketball team defeated the Presbyterian Blue Hose in dramatic fashion on Alumni Day, winning by a score of 70-68. The Lancers were down by as many as 21 points but rallied back in the fourth quarter for the historic victory in front of the many Longwood women's basketball alumni in attendance.

 

Longwood Statistical Leaders
 
Points: Adriana Shipp-Davis, Janay Turner (20)
Rebounds: Brooke Anya (5)
Assists: Chardonnay Hartley (4)
 

HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
Longwood (4-15, 3-5) started the night's scoring on a Janay Turner mid-range jumper that went off the glass and in. Following this, Presbyterian's (8-11, 4-4) offense took center stage, going on a 9-0 run to take a ten-point lead halfway through the frame. Triples from Brooke Anya and Adriana Shipp-Davis gave the Lancers a late offensive push, and the score was set at 25-16 after one in favor of the Blue Hose.

Presbyterian found success shooting from beyond the arc in the first, and that continued to open the second. The Blue Hose converted on two triples in the first three minutes of the frame to extend their lead beyond double-digits. Converting on the glass was also crucial for Presbyterian, who outrebounded the Lancers 14-4 in the frame. While Anne-Hamilton LeRoy provided a few buckets in the final minutes, Longwood found themselves facing a 40-22 deficit at halftime.

The Lancers were able to slow down Presbyterian's potent offense to begin the second half, holding the Blue Hose to only five points through the first five minutes of play. However, Presbyterian's defense continued to hold strong as well to begin the frame. Despite trailing by 18 at the half, Longwood stayed composed and chipped into the Blue Hose lead, cutting it to 11 following two consecutive Janay Turner buckets. After a couple Presbyterian buckets in the final minutes, the Lancers trailed 55-41 with only one quarter to go.

The Blue Hose extended their lead to 18 at the 6:29 mark of the fourth quarter, and a chance for victory seemed futile for the Lancers. Despite the odds being stacked against them, Longwood came to play during the final stretch of the game. The Lancers locked in defensively, generating 11 turnovers in the final quarter and held the Blue Hose without points for the final five and a half minutes of play. Brooke Anya was crucial in her return down the stretch, grabbing four steals in crunch time. Longwood's offense came alive as well, outscoring Presbyterian 18-0 in just over five minutes of action. With under ten seconds to play, a Janay Turner steal led to an Anne-Hamilton LeRoy layup in transition to give Longwood a 70-68 lead and improbable come from behind victory.
 


WHAT THEY SAID:
 
"I give [our players] all the credit for instilling their will, especially in that fourth quarter," said head coach Erika Lang-Montgomery following the historic comeback. "I challenged them at halftime to come out and compete and not lay down. I told them to keep chipping away, and they did that. We had some players really step up and make some big plays throughout the game."

"I was ready to get back and play with my teammates," said Brooke Anya on her return to the floor. "Getting to be on the court was really exciting and was what fueled me to play as hard as I could cause I haven't played for so many games."

"Brooke Anya came in and really gave us a spark today," said Lang-Montgomery on Anya's return. "Her steals were impeccable. She really was a strong presence defensively in the post today."
 

ADDITIONAL NOTES:
 
Tonight's game marked the 25^th all-time Division-I matchup between the Lancers and the Blue Hose. The two teams will face one another again on February 8^th in Clinton, S.C.
 
Adriana Shipp-Davis and Janay Turner led the Lancers in scoring with 20 points each.
 
Janay Turner scored 20 points on an efficient 6/12 from the field, which ties her career-high. Turner has scored double-digit points in three consecutive games.
 
Brooke Anya grabbed six steals in her first game since December 31^st.

Longwood scored 29 points in the fourth quarter, the most the team has scored in a quarter this season.
 
Longwood was down by 21 points and 18 at one point in the fourth quarter, yet still came from behind to win.
 
The Lancers forced a season-high 29 turnovers, scoring 32 points off of them. That is the most turnovers Longwood has forced since 11/28/20 against ETSU (32).
 
Longwood's 18 steals are a season-high and the first time the team has recorded 15 or more steals since 2018.
 
Longwood shot 66.7% from the field in the fourth quarter, a season-high for the team.
 
The Lancers have won three-games in a row at Willett Hall.

 
UP NEXT:
 
The Lancers look to extend their home winning-streak to four on Wednesday, January 25^th against the Radford Highlanders. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Willett Hall.

#GoWood