FARMVILLE, Va. — The Longwood women's basketball team scored the first 10 points of overtime and defeated Radford, 88-73, in Big South action at the Joan Perry Brock Center on Wednesday.
After Radford's Angelina Nice hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to force the extra session at 69-69, Longwood took the lead as Jasmine Peaks knocked down a floater in the lane on on the first possession of overtime. Malea Brown and Peaks then drained treys in succession to give Longwood a 77-69 edge, which grew to double digits after a pair of free throws from Frances Ulysse and Longwood wasn't threatened the rest of the night.
"This was the kind of game that you would expect between to in-state, conference rivals," Longwood head coach Erika Lang-Montgomery said. "It was kind of like a heavyweight fight, it was like punch-for-punch, punch-for-punch, and hey, I'm just proud of the way our team grinded it out. That's what you have to do this time of year and we came out on top tonight."
Otaifo Esenabhalu and Ulysse secured double-doubles in the same game for the second time this season. Esenabhalu posted a career-high 18 points to go with 14 rebounds for her 11th double-double of the season and the 20th of her career. Ulysse recorded a career-best 21 points and 10 boards, leading a group of four Lancers in double figures.
Brown scored 19 points, including 16 in the first half, with six steals, four assists and four rebounds, eclipsing both 200 career steals and assists in the win.
Peaks added 15 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals, helping Longwood (16-6, 7-2) win its third consecutive game and overtake Radford (15-10, 7-3) in the league standings.
Longwood shot 55.6 percent from the floor in the first half, holding a 38-36 lead at the break. The Lancers opened a seven-point edge late in the third quarter at 52-45 on an Esenabhalu free throw with 43 seconds remaining.
An Amor Harris jumper with 2:48 on the clock in regulation pushed the lead to 63-53, but Radford fought its way back. Georgia Simonsen converted a layup and Joi Williams a three to cut the deficit to 63-58 with 2:15 left. A minute later, Cate Carlson hit a triple to shave the Longwood lead to 66-62. Peaks hit a free throw to extend the lead to five with 51 seconds left.
Williams then drained a pair from the line to shrink the lead to 67-64 and Nice got an offensive board and putback to pull her team within 67-66 with 7.1 seconds left.
Ulysse then drew a foul and hit two free throws to restore a three-point lead prior to the buzzer beater by Nice.
"We didn't seem shaken," Lang-Montgomery said of the mood going into overtime. "That told me that we were still ready to fight, that we still had something left in us and so I love that response. We talked about having an elite response in everything that we do in the remainder of the season and so they got the message and they did that tonight."
The Lancers had a 53-34 rebounding edge for the game with 17 offensive boards, forced 19 Highlanders' turnovers and grabbed 14 steals.
Simonsen led Radford with 17 points, while Nice collected 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Longwood is back in action Saturday at 2 p.m., hosting UNC Asheville in the Play4Kay Pink Out game, benefitting the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. The Lancers will also celebrate their seniors prior to the game.
