FARMVILLE, Va. – Szymon Zapala ripped off 17 first-half points,
Walyn Napper added 17 more, and all 12 players that played, scored for Longwood men's basketball at the Joan Perry Brock Center on Thursday night.
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The end result was a 95-46 victory over the Newport News Apprentice School that served as Longwood's seventh straight win, tying the third longest winning streak at the Division I level. The team also improved to 7-1 on the young campaign, extending their best start at the Division I level.
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In addition, the win keeps Longwood unbeaten in the Joan Perry Brock Center, as the Lancers are now 6-0 in their new home.
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Longwood force-fed Zapala the basketball early, and the 7-0 center powered his way to six straight points over the first 90 seconds. He had his second career double-double by halftime, and he finished with 13 rebounds on the night, a career best, along with a pair of blocks.
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Napper chipped in seven points in the first half and added 10 after halftime. He also was a perfect 8-8 from the floor, and he posted six assists as well to get the Longwood offense humming early.
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The Lancers posted a season-best 17 assists on 38 made shots while shooting .576 from the floor. He also led Longwood with six assists as part of a Lancer attack that had a season-high 17 assists on 38 made shots.
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Saxby Sunderland also added a career best 10 points, with five points in each half.
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Defensively, the Lancers were opportunistic while limiting clean looks for the visitors. The Builders shot .276 (16-58) from the floor, and Longwood forced 19 turnovers while not allowing a visiting player to score in double figures. The Lancers had a dozen steals on the evening, and
Emanuel Richards keyed the effort with a career best five.
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Now, the Lancers turn their attention to back-to-back road games that sandwich finals week. Longwood heads to Morgan State on Sunday afternoon, December 3, for a 2 p.m. tip. Then the team heads to Delaware State on Saturday, December 9 for a 2 p.m. tip. Both games will air on the radio on WVHL 92.9 Kickin' Country.
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