FARMVILLE, Va. – Fresh off a 20-win campaign, a trip to the Big South Championship game and a WNIT appearance, Longwood women's basketball has plenty of momentum, and now the team is positioned to carry that momentum into the future.
 
Longwood Athletics Director Tim Hall announced today a six-year contract extension for head coach Erika Lang-Montgomery that will keep her at the helm of Lancer women's basketball through the end of the 2030-31 season.
 
"This is a great day for Longwood University, our athletics department and our women's basketball program," said Hall. "Erika and her staff embody the traits and values that we preach and also puts that into practice, pouring into our student-athletes to empower them to be successful both as students and athletes. Her focus on the whole student-athlete experience fits directly into our mission and culture.
 
"This well-deserved extension will continue building on the positive momentum and growth of our women's basketball program."
 
"Erika Lang-Montgomery has created a culture that celebrates achievement on and off the court, and is as excellent a coach as she is a mentor and colleague," said Longwood President W. Taylor Reveley IV. "She is deeply invested in this community and in Longwood's mission, and the future is bright for our women's basketball program with her at the helm far into the future."
 
The extension follows a 22-12 season that saw the team match a program record for wins at the Division I level.
 
The win total represented a 13-win improvement from the prior season, and Lang-Montgomery was voted as the Big South Coach of the Year by her peers in the Big South following the team's second-place finish in the regular season standings.
 
"I am grateful for the opportunity to continue leading Longwood's women's basketball program," said Lang-Montgomery. "Our team and staff had an amazing season, and I am both committed and excited to build further from our accomplishments. I extend my thanks to Tim Hall and President Reveley for the trust and belief they have shown in me, as well as their leadership, guidance and support."
 
The defense was the driving force all season, with a harrying presence that led the nation in both steals and turnovers forced for much of the season, and it paved the way for a trip to the Big South Championship game where the Lancers finished as runners-up after being picked seventh in the preseason poll.
 
 
Lang-Montgomery coached the Big South Defensive Player of the Year—Kiki McIntyre—who led the nation in steals for the majority of the season and was the tip of the spear.
 
The Lancers started 6-0 in Big South play, the program's best start to the league slate since joining the Big South, and it was the first time since the Shirley Duncan days at the turn of the millennium that the team had won six straight in conference play.
 
The run paved the way for the Lancers to qualify for postseason play in the WNIT, marking the third time the team has earned the opportunity to compete in a national postseason tournament.
 
Longwood was also a tough out in the Joan Perry Brock Center, going 10-5 this season in the friendly confines of the JPB. The Lancers enjoyed excellent support from the community and led the Big South in attendance this season.
 
In  addition, the Lancers also have continued to excel in the classroom, with a team GPA above 3.0 in every semester under Lang-Montgomery's guidance. The team has set, and then promptly broken, semester GPA records three times. In addition, the Lancers have had 22 Dean's List selections in five semesters to go with three who have earned President's List honors..
 
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