November 15, 2008

BOX SCORE

ELON, N.C. - Longwood University women's basketball senior center Anna Steg/Vienna (George C. Marshall) recorded her first double-double of the season in the Lancers 58-54 overtime win over Elon in the ISES Cancer Awareness Tip-Off hosted by Elon. Steg netted a game-high 15 points, while pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds to lift the Lancers to their first win of the season. Longwood now improves to 1-1 on the season, while Elon falls to 1-1. Longwood returns home for its next contest, hosting Saint Francis (Pa.) on Wednesday, November 19 at Willett Hall with tip-off set for 7 p.m.
   
Steg drained three of four shots from field goal range in the first half alone, ending the nigh 6-9 from the field. Senior Amber Sims/Lawrenceville (Brunswick Senior) found her shooting groove, hitting 4-7 from the field while also nailing 3-6 from the free-throw line. As a team the Lancers shot 42% (23-55) from the field to the Phoenix 29% (22-75). Defensively the Lancers pulled down 33 rebounds to Elon's 29.
  
Longwood came out of the gates shooting, making a 6-0 run in the first three minutes of action. The Lancers would go onto lead by nine at one point in the game, never allowing the Phoenix to take the lead. A made jumper by freshman Brittanni Billups/Goldsboro, N.C. (Eastern Wayne) at the 8:05 mark would give the Lancers a nine point advantage, taking the score to 19-10. Elon would pull within five in the closing minutes of the first half, sending the Lancers into the locker room leading 25-20.

The Lancers picked up where they left off in the first half with Steg laying one up 30 seconds into the next period, increasing the Lancers lead to seven. Elon would fight its way back within one at the 14:47 mark making the score 30-29. Three minutes later a layup in the paint by freshman Brooke Long/Richmond (Mills E. Godwin) would put the Lancers lead back at seven. The Phoenix would once again scrap their way back into the game tying things up with a made jumper by Julie Taylor with 32 seconds remaining in the game. The Lancers had one last chance to regain the lead in the winding seconds of the game, but would be unable to net one.
   
Overtime started different than the first two periods, with the Phoenix grabbing their first lead of the game on a three-pointer from Aiesha Harper. Sophomore Cierra Baker/Windsor, Conn. (Windsor) regained the Lancers lead with two minutes remaining in the five minute overtime draining a jumper in the paint. Longwood would never look back, maintaining control of the scoreboard.