FARMVILLE, Va. — The Longwood women's basketball team is off to its first 2-0 start since the 2006-07 season.
The Lancers never trailed, racing past WKU, 80-42, Saturday at the Joan Perry Brock Center.
Longwood placed four players in double figures, received offensive contributions from eight different players and grabbed at least 50 rebounds for the second consecutive game.
"I think that was a great showing for our team," Longwood head coach Erika Lang-Montgomery said. "Second game in and a quality opponent in Western Kentucky. I was really impressed with our intensity and effort from start to finish today."
The win against the Hilltoppers (1-1) is Longwood's first against a Conference USA school since beating Jacksonville State on Jan. 11, 2005. The Lancers last won their first two games to begin a season when Pamela Bass led the team wins at American and against Norfolk State. That squad started 3-0 overall.
On Saturday, Longwood scored the first seven points of the game, getting buckets from Amor Harris, Malea Brown and Frances Ulysse, and led 16-6 after the first quarter and 28-18 at the half. The lead expanded 46-31 through three periods.
"Well, I hope it was just the the mindset that we've talked about," Lang-Montgomery said of the fast start. "We want to have a a home presence. We want to be dominant in our house and protect it. This is a team that's that's hungry and we want to eat."
Longwood used a 14-0 run in the final stanza to put WKU — a team that won 23 games a year ago — away, growing its edge to as many as 39 points with less than a minute and a half to play.
Harris led all players with 16 points, adding three steals and two assists, while Ulysse added 14 points, six rebounds and three assists. Brown tallied 12 points, five assists and three steals and freshman Jesstynie Scott finished in double digits for a second straight game with 10 points and a game-best five of the Lancers' 18 steals.
"I thought we got great contributions from Jesstynie Scott off the bench," Lang-Montgomery said. "I don't know if [Longwood single-season steals leader] Kiki [McIntyre] being in the stands gave her a little motivation, but she was all over it defensively, but offensively as well. Like I thought her pace um and presence on the floor was was really good.
"I thought just the way our starters got the game going, I think that gave us a lift and then we really didn't let down when we went to our bench today.
Longwood forced the WKU into 30 turnovers, marking the 11th time in the last two seasons it caused at least that many.
The Hilltoppers shot just 28.1 percent from the field, connecting on 16 shots, while Longwood had 21 assists on 28 makes.
Longwood made nine 3-pointers, including three by Brown and two each from Harris and Scott, and missed just two of its 17 free throws.
Jeniffer Silva paced WKU with 12 points and seven boards in the loss.
Next up, the Lancers hit the road for the first time this season, traveling to Navy Wednesday for a 7 p.m., tip at Alumni Hall in Annapolis, Md., on ESPN+.
