ATHENS, Ohio – The Longwood women's basketball team survived a frantic final five and a half minutes to hold on for a 75-72 non-conference road win against Ohio at the Convocation Center Wednesday.
 
After senior Janay Turner hit a jumper in the paint to put the Lancers ahead by their largest margin of the game at 69-58, Ohio battled back. The Bobcats cut the deficit to just 73-72 with 8.8 seconds remaining.
 
Turner stole the ensuing in-bound pass and was fouled, knocking down her career-high eighth and ninth free throws of the game without a miss. Longwood (2-4) then successfully defended a final 3-point attempt from Ohio's Bailey Tabeling to secure its first Division I victory of the season and second in as many seasons against the Bobcats.
 
"Our team is hungry," said Longwood head coach Erika Lang-Montgomery. "We haven't had a win in a while and so that was the motivation for the whole game. It was 'let's do what we needed to do to come away with a win tonight.'"
 
Turner posted a career-high 22 points, shooting 6-for-13 from the field, adding four rebounds, as three players finished with double figures for the Lancers.
 
"I'm just really proud her," Lang-Montgomery said of Turner, who also put in the game-winning bucket with 6.8 seconds on the clock in Longwood's 66-65 win over Ohio at Willett Hall last season. "I mean Janay's a player that puts in the work, she puts in the extra time, and it was nice to see it pay off for her tonight."
 
Jaya McClure converted a driving layup at the 2:09 mark, forcing a Lancers' timeout, up 71-67. Kennedi Watkins then stole a Laney Bone pass, but missed a free throw with the second attempt wiped out by a lane violation.
 
Ohio (2-3) went just 3-for-9 in the fourth quarter from the line, while the Lancers were 6-of-9 and a season-best 18-for-22 for the game. A McClure freebie with 58 seconds on the clock made it a 71-68 score. Watkins, though, missed a pair from the stripe on the next trip and Kiki McIntyre hit a pair with 19 seconds left to restore a five-point lead.
 
In a game that featured 12 lead changes and four ties, the Lancers opened with seven consecutive points, including five by Turner. Longwood led, 26-23, after the first quarter, 44-41 at halftime and 61-56 through three periods.
 
Longwood also received 14 points from Anne-Hamilton LeRoy and 10 from Malea Brown on the night. The Lancers outrebounded Ohio, 51-35, to help offset a season-high 26 turnovers, from which Ohio scored 18 points. Adriana Shipp-Davis grabbed a season-best nine boards to lead all players.
 
Watkins had 16 points, four boards and two steals for the Bobcats in the loss.

Longwood returns to action Saturday at Davidson. Game time is 5:30 p.m., at John M. Belk Arena.