FARMVILLE, Va. — Coming off of arguably one of the most successful women's basketball seasons in the 105-year history of the program, the challenge for the 2025-26 Lancers shifts from being the hunters to the hunted.
Longwood tied the best record in its NCAA Division I era a season ago, going 22-12 overall, advancing to the Big South Conference championship game before getting nipped at the buzzer at Duquesne in the first round of the postseason WNIT.
The Lancers, however, have the foundation to go further this season. In the changing landscape of college athletics where offseason player movement has become the norm, Longwood did not lose a single player to the transfer portal. In fact, Longwood is one of just 19 schools in all of Division I women's basketball to boast of that this year, joining the likes of Power 4 schools Syracuse, Nebraska, Oregon and Washington, among others.
The Lancers were picked second in the Big South poll, their highest-ever preseason prognostication since joining the league, garnering 69 points in the balloting with one first-place vote, also a program first.
Back for fourth-year head coach Erika Lang-Montgomery are 10 players, including preseason all-Big South selections in first-teamer Amor Harris as well as second-team pick Malea Brown. Joining Longwood this season are a pair of transfers with Division I experience. Alary Bell, a forward, comes to Farmville after two seasons at St. Francis (Pa.), while Jasmine Peaks played last year at Wichita State as a reserve guard. Add to the mix three freshmen, forward London Harvey and guards Jesstynie Scott and Kayla Washington, and the Lancers are poised to compete for a conference championship.
"I think our strength starts with our chemistry," Lang-Montgomery, who became the first coach in team history to be named Big South Coach of the Year in 2024-25, said. "I think the team, because we do have so many players that are back that are familiar with each other, it was very natural to bring the new five into the fold. And so it is a family environment.
"I know people say that, but that's the feel. The energy is really good. But also the returners understand, 'Okay, this is where we left off last year.' There definitely is that mindset of some unfinished business and they've been able to pass that along. Like, 'Hey guys, this is what it takes. This is what's expected.' And so it's good when they understand the work that it takes and what's required for us to play the style of defense that we play."
That smothering style helped the Lancers finish second in the country in turnovers forced per game (24.47) and 17th in turnover margin (plus-6.26) last season. With the graduation of Kiki McIntyre, who set the Longwood and Big South record for steals in a single season at 130 as a senior, a question arises as to who will fill that void.
"It's a team thing, and it's next man up," Lang-Montgomery said. "I think what she was able to do, it's not fair to say, 'Okay, that's your role now' for one person. I think it has to become something that naturally evolves. The work that we put in isn't going to change because we don't have her. The approach is still going to be the same.
"It just may now be by committee," she said. "Who can make up that difference, so to speak. Maybe Kiki had her four, but maybe now it's, 'You've got two and you've got two now we still have four." And so, it's now just teaching. How do we move as a whole, with 10 returners and five new players. How does this unit become that amoeba that last year's team was?"
Offensively, Longwood is aiming to take the next step. Harris averaged 11 points per game in a breakout sophomore campaign while Brown chipped in 9.4 points. Another pair of third-year Lancers,
Frances Ulysse and
Otaifo Esenabhalu, averaged 8.2 and 7.8 points, respectively, in the front court.
"We want to be a more efficient offensive team," Lang-Montgomery said. "It helps that you have your leading scorer back. It helps that you've got a lot of pieces back that are capable of putting the ball in the basket. I think we'll have that same distribution that we had last year in terms of, we may not have that 20-plus scorer, but we've got people that are capable of 10, eight, nine, nine throughout the lineup, which makes us really hard to guard. Pick your poison. Who do you want to stop tonight? Okay, well, we've got somebody else that can step up, as well."
Also back are guards Jaci Bolden, Lili Booker, Olivia Bowes and Nalani Simmons along with wing player JaMya Robinson.
Bolden has stepped into a more vocal role as a leader while still providing the defensive tenacity she had a season ago, and Robinson has served as an effective Swiss Army Knife on the defensive end of the floor.
Booker is an explosive player who provided a big energy lift every time she came off the bench as a freshman last year.
Bowes, meanwhile, has the ability to score at all levels of the floor and impact the game with her size on the perimeter. Simmons also can step in and serve as a knockdown shooter who provides a lift defensively.
"This team is exciting because of their energy," Lang-Montgomery said. "This is a high-energy group and the challenge is letting them be themselves in this day and age and not over-coaching, so to speak."
After the season opener Wednesday, Nov. 5 against Randolph, the 13-game non-league slate progresses with Western Kentucky, Navy and a Homecoming & Alumni Weekend date with Bluefield on Nov. 14.
Longwood also hosts George Washington and travels to Virginia and Ole Miss before the Puerto Rico Clasico in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where it faces Buffalo and Stephen F. Austin over the Thanksgiving holiday.
That gauntlet, just in November alone, is sure to prepare the Lancers for Big South play.
"[We want to give] them the freedom to be who they are, and are helping them get there," Lang-Montgomery said. "That's what I'm excited about to see: how it all comes together over the course of the season. How quickly can we grow? I know we've got a very challenging non-conference schedule, and how much growth can we see from day one, November 5, until we get to that conference tournament in March?"
