ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Longwood knew what it needed to do heading into today's contest. Win and secure a first-round bye at the Big South Tournament, lose and play in a pigtail on Wednesday. With the stakes high and no more regular season games left on the schedule, the Lancers delivered, defeating UNC Asheville by a score of 59-50.
 
Longwood Statistical Leaders
 
Points: Janay Turner (20)
Rebounds: Adriana Shipp-Davis (11)
Assists: Anne-Hamilton LeRoy (3)
Steals: Anne-Hamilton LeRoy, Janay Turner (4)
 

HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
Playing on the road and employing a smaller rotation, the cards were stacked against Longwood from the jump. It was a back-and-forth defensive affair the whole way through, as both teams forced over 20 turnovers and held the other to under 40% from the field.

Despite the conditions, Longwood made plays when it had to in order to scrape out the win. Three players hauled in eight or more rebounds (Adriana Shipp-Davis 11, Bailey Williams 10, Milou Vennema 8), helping Longwood extend and create possessions, specifically in the closing minutes of the game.

Janay Turner led the way offensively, especially in crunch time. The Chicago native poured in 20 points to lead the Lancers, including eight in the fourth quarter to ensure Longwood's first round bye next week in Charlotte.

While the rebounding and timely points from the Lancers contributed to success, defense was also one of the driving forces in Longwood's win. The team grabbed 14 steals and scored 21 points off of turnovers, putting the exclamation mark on Longwood's late-season push to clinch a first-round bye.
 

WHAT THEY SAID:
 
"I just want to say how proud I am of this team and how hard they fought tonight," said head coach Erika Lang-Montgomery. "The road hasn't been kind to us this season, and for us to come out and battle in a game that was important for seeding, I'm super proud of how we finished."

"[Janay Turner] really made an effort to get back in the gym and work on some things," said Lang-Montgomery. "For her to fight through being in foul trouble and come back to make some big plays down the stretch, I can't say enough great things about Janay tonight."

"Defense wins games, and rebounding wins championships," said Lang-Montgomery. "We needed a team effort on the boards tonight…super proud that we could execute tonight."

"From where we started at the beginning of the season, I think we've gotten a lot better," said Lang-Montgomery. "We needed time and experience, and we've gained that each day, and you're seeing that now. I'm really proud of the growth our team has had this season."
 

ADDITIONAL NOTES:
 
Today's game marked the 26^th all-time Division-I matchup between the Lancers and the Bulldogs. Longwood now holds a six-game winning streak over UNC Asheville.
 
Longwood had three players grab eight or more rebounds (Shipp-Davis 11, Williams 10, Vennema 8), which is a first on the season. Williams and Vennema's marks were both career-highs.
 
Janay Turner has scored in double-digits each of her past five games and in ten of her last twelve.
 
Bailey Williams played 40 minutes tonight, the entirety of the game.
 
The win marked Longwood's eighth in conference play, putting them in sole possession of the sixth seed at the conference tournament.
 
 
UP NEXT:
 
The Lancers will now prepare for their first game of the Big South Tournament in Charlotte on this upcoming Thursday. Longwood's opponent and time are TBA.
 
Tickets for the Big South Championships in Charlotte, N.C. on March 1-5 are still available at this link!

#GoWood || #HorsePower