Games 6-8 • Longwood (5-0)  at the Paradise Jam
Date & Time	Friday-Monday, November 22-25, 2024
Opponent	UAB: Friday 12:30 p.m. (EST) TBD: Saturday/Sunday TBD: Monday
Location	St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Game Notes	Longwood
Statistics	Longwood | UAB
TV	ESPN+
Live Stats	Live Stats
Social Media	@LongwoodLancers | @LongwoodMBB

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood opens up the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Friday, with the tournament celebrating its 25th season of play.

THE OPENING TIP
•    The Lancers will take on UAB in the first game of the tournament in a matchup of two teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament a season ago.
•    UAB won the American Athletic Conference title a season ago, and the team was picked to win it again this season while Yaxel Lendeborg is the preseason Player of the Year.
•    Longwood is part of a Paradise Jam field that features three NCAA Tournament teams among the eight team field. In addition to Longwood and UAB, McNeese State, Illinois State, Liberty, Louisiana, Kansas State and George Washington round out the grouping,
•    Longwood's 5-0 start is a program first since opening the 2000-01 season 7-0. It marks the fifth time the team has been 4-1 or better under head coach Griff Aldrich.
 
LAST TIME OUT
•    Longwood's defense clamped down after halftime at Binghamton on Tuesday, November 19 in a 66-60 road win.
•    The Lancers, down 35-33 at the half, gave up only 25 points after halftime en route to earning their first true road win of the season.
•    Longwood only surrendered eight made shots in the final 20 minutes.
•    On the offensive end, grit, hustle and timely shotmaking made up for the fact that Longwood couldn't buy a basket for much of the contest.
•    KJ McClurg and Michael Christmas combined for 34 points, with McClurg leading the team with 20.
•    Christmas beat the shot clock with 1:19 to go to give Longwood a three-point lead, and McClurg added a dagger triple one possession later to make it 62-58.
•    Longwood's defense made sure the team salted the lead away late.
 
QUOTABLE
"It all comes back to our execution. I think we took a really good step tonight in locking in on trying to execute. Credit to Binghamton, a really good team. I think they are going to make a lot of noise in the America East. I was really proud of our grit and toughness to execute. If we can do that consistently, I think we have a chance to be pretty good."
—Longwood Head Coach Griff Aldrich after Binghamton

BY THE NUMBERS
•    Longwood has held back-to-back opponents to fewer than 30 points after halftime. The Lancers only gave up 29 to UT Martin on Nov. 16 before following it up by surrending a mere 25 to Binghamton on Nov. 19.
•    In addition, the Lancers have held teams to sub-30 percent three-point shooting after halftime for four straight games (Nov. 9 vs. Morgan State, Nov. 13 vs. Milwaukee, Nov. 16 vs. UT Martin, Nov. 19 at Binghamton).
•    The defense leads the Big South in fewest points allowed per game, 53.2, and ranks 51st in the nation.
•    The Lancer defense is second in the Big South in field goal percentage defense (.407) and first in three-point percentage defense (27.3).
•    Plus, the defense has helped Longwood post a +3.0 turnover margin, tops in the Big South. The team forces 16.4 turnovers per game (second in the league, 52nd nationally).
•    The defense has propelled Longwood to a 5-0 start as mentioned, with the five wins among the top mark in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
•    The nine combined wins (five for the men, four on the women's side) are also tied for the most in the Commonwealth.
•    Offensively, Longwood generates points from the free throw line.
•    The Lancers have shot at least 20 free throws in every game this season, and the team averages 31.8 free throw attempts per game, the top mark in the Big South and eighth-best nationally.
•    It helps that they make 24 free throws per game, also the top number in the Big South and third nationally.
•    KJ McClurg is in the top 10 nationally in both free throw attempts (ninth-44) and makes (seventh-34).
   
•    The two teams played once back in 1986, with UAB winning 83-49.
•    The game was played on a neutral court in Houston, Texas.
   
#GoWood #HorsePower