FARMVILLE, Va. — Five players scored double figures as the Longwood women's basketball team won for the fourth consecutive game, beating UNC Asheville, 72-60, in Big South action at the Joan Perry Brock Center on Saturday.
Amor Harris paced the Lancers with 17 points on 6-for-12 shooting with three 3-pointers and Frances Ulysse added 13 points and eight rebounds as she and five other members of the program were honored in a pregame senior day ceremony. The game doubled as Longwood's annual Play4Kay Pink Out, benefiting the Kay Yow Cancer Fund while raising awareness for all cancers affecting women.
With the win, the Lancers moved to 17-6 overall and 8-2 in the Big South with their fifth straight win over UNC Asheville (9-15, 4-7). The Bulldogs, however, put up a fight in a tight contest that featured 13 lead changes and five tie scores.
"Today started with so much emotion and it was just really nice that our seniors were able to get a win in front of their family, in front of a great crowd today, and just because of the impactfulness of today, it really meant a lot to get the dub at home," Longwood head coach Erika Lang-Montgomery said. "We had to grind and we had to scrap. I mean, Asheville is a good basketball team. [Asheville coach] Tynesha [Lewis] has done a really good job of building that program and those players play really, really hard. They were kicking our butts on the boards, but I just felt like we were resilient. We found a way."
The Bulldogs led, 9-8, following the first quarter, and after the Lancers responded with a 27-point middle frame, the visitors outscored Longwood by five in the third. The Lancers, though, closed well, shooting 9-of-15 from the field in the final 10 minutes to secured the win.
For Longwood, senior guard Jaci Bolden earned her first start of the season and came up with 12 points and three rebounds in 21 minutes. The day was extra special for for the Conyers, Ga., native, whose mother, Julia, a cancer survivor, was in attendance with her family.
"It just means a lot. They're my reason, they're my why," Bolden said. "Just feeling love, the support, playing for them, playing for Kay Yow — my mom was a breast cancer survivor — so it always means something deeper than me. And I just love putting a smile on their faces. I know they support me no matter what, and it was just special to get that win today."
Fellow senior guards Jasmine Peaks and Malea Brown scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, with Brown adding five assists. Another senior, forward JaMya Robinson, contributed two points, three rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes.
Asheville received 20 points and nine rebounds from Nia Green and a double-double of 14 points and 10 boards from Jamaria Freeman. The Bulldogs carried a 49-36 advantage on the glass as a team, including 21-13 on the offensive end.
Longwood got 17 off of turnovers, 11 on the break and 24 from its bench.
"We made some shots late. I thought we executed better in the fourth quarter and that helped us get the win today," said Lang-Montgomery, whose son, Justin, a senior student manager, was also honored prior to game.
Longwood is back on the road Wednesday at High Point Wednesday at 7 p.m.
