November 27, 2004
BOX SCORE
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Longwood University earned an 81-73 women’s basketball victory over Norfolk State Saturday evening in the consolation game of the Hilton Wilmington Riverside Classic. Senior forward/center Marita Meldere/Rujiena, Latvia (Lynchburg Christian) led the way for the Lancers finishing with her fourth-straight double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 19 rebounds, both game-highs. Longwood, who improved to 3-2 on the season, will be back in action Wednesday, December 1 when they travel into Morgantown, W.Va. for a game against West Virginia. Game time is slated for 7:00 p.m.
Norfolk State (0-3) jumped out on top early, taking a 10-6 lead at the 15:50 mark of the first half. Longwood was able to put the pressure on the Spartans and score the next 18 out of 25 points to hold a seven-point advantage with less than seven minutes to play before halftime. Junior forward Amber Mason/Virginia Beach (Princess Anne) capped off the Lancers run scoring two straight buckets to give LU the 24-17 edge.
Norfolk State limited Longwood to three points over the final six minutes of the half, and scored 11 points of its own to hold the 34-27 halftime lead.
The Spartans continued to keep the Lancers at bay, pulling ahead by as many as 14 in the early minutes of the second half. But with the score 59-48, advantage Norfolk State, Longwood went on a 12-2 run to pull within one point at the 5:42 mark. Junior forward Ashley Mason/Virginia Beach (Princess Anne) then hit a jumper and sister Amber Mason drained a three-pointer to give the Lancers a 65-63 lead; its first of the game since the 5:20 mark of the first half.
Shanae Johnson hit a three-pointer to give the Spartans back the lead with 3:59 left in the contest, but it was all Longwood in the closing minutes. Amber Mason sank one-of-two free throws to tie the game at 65-65 and then sophomore guard Ashleigh Hollman/Centreville (Westfield) hit two free throws, Ashley Mason rattled in a three-pointer and made a jumper, while Meldere hit two free throws to put the game out reach for Norfolk State.
In addition to Meldere’s game-highs of 18 points and 19 rebounds, four other players finished in double-digit points. Ashley Mason finished the contest with 16 points, four rebounds, six assists and five steals, while junior guard Jessica Wilkerson/Roanoke (Northfield) added 12 points and six assists. Freshman guard Keiva Small/Norfolk (Norview) scored a career-high 11 points, all coming in the second half, and Amber Mason registered her first double-double of the season, scoring 10 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Longwood finished the game shooting 40.3% (27-67) from the floor, including 47.8% (11-23) from behind the three-point arc, and hit 53.3% (16-30) of its free throws.
Toia Johnson and Yomika Corbitt, who finished with 17 and 16 points, respectively, led Norfolk State. Jasmine Wilson and Shalynn Leonard both chipped in 10 points for the Spartans. Norfolk shot 46.8% (29-62) from the field, including 53.8% (7-13) from the three-point arc, and was 72.7% (8-11) from the charity stripe.
Meldere also earned All-Tournament honors for Longwood.
