December 1, 2007

BOX SCORE

PRINCESS ANNE, Md.-- Senior Keiva Small/Norfolk (Norview) hit the front end of a pair of free throws with one second left on the clock, to lift the Longwood women’s basketball team, 43-42, over Maryland Eastern Shore Saturday evening.  Small led the Lancers (3-5) with a game-high 16 points while the Hawks’ (2-3) April McBride recorded a team-high 12 points.  The Lancers will return to action on Monday, December 3, when they travel to Emmitsburg, Md. for a 7 p.m. tip-off with Mount St. Mary’s.

The game was a back and forth battle from the start, and Longwood caught the Hawks in transition on back-to-back possessions to take a 3-0 lead into the first media timeout.  Senior Odessa Williams/Stratford, Conn. (Stratford) hit a lay-up and Small followed on a Hawk miss and hit one of two free throws to take the early lead. 

Fouls and turnover dictated play early on, keeping both teams from developing a  rhythm.  UMES was able to build a four point lead with 6:27 remaining in the half, but the Lancers came storming back, putting together a 7-1 run to take a 20-19 lead two minutes later.  Freshman Krystal Garrison/Fredericksburg (Courtland) completed a three point play and sophomore Becky Fernandes/Fairfax (Bishop Ireton) hit two of three free throws to give the Lancers the one point lead with 4:41 to go before the break.  April McBride hit a lay-up with 0:31 left in the first half to send UMES into the locker room with the 23-22 lead.

Williams and Small set the tone for the Lancers in the second half, as the two seniors scored all 21 points for Longwood in the final twenty minutes.  After Williams hit a lay-up and a UMES turnover on the other end, Small sunk a three-pointer to give the Lancers a four point lead early in the second half. 

The Hawks came right back and after the ninth tie of the game UMES went up four points on a lay-up and foul shot by Brittany Adkins while Talareah Frazier hit one of two free throws for the 39-35 score with 5:39 left in the game.  Williams however gave the Lancers the lead for good two minutes later on a jumper at the elbow following a lay-up and foul shot from Small. 

With less than a minute to go and the Hawks down by three, McBride was able to draw a foul on her way up, and hit both the lay-up and foul shot that followed to tie the game at 42-42 with twenty six seconds remaining in the game.  After Fernandes pulled down the offensive board, Small was fouled hard with a one second left to send the guard to the foul line.  Small hit the first of two free throws to give the Lancers the win.

Thirteen of Small’s 16 points came in the second half while Williams finished the game with 12 points in the win.  Garrison was perfect from the foul line going 3-3, finishing with eight points.  For the game, Longwood shot 32.6% from the floor while UMES shot 29.8% from the field.