11.20.2011

Box Score

HIGH POINT, N.C. - The Longwood University women's basketball team dropped a 73-51 decision at High Point University of the Big South Conference on Sunday afternoon in High Point, North Carolina. Junior Crystal Smith|Richmond (Meadowbrook) led the Lancers (1-3) with 16 points, while senior Brittanni Billups|Goldsboro, N.C. (Eastern Wayne) added 10 points and 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. High Point (3-1) was paced by Erin Reynolds with a game-high 19 points. Longwood returns to action on Tuesday, November 22, when it faces Campbell University of the Big South at 3 p.m. in Buies Creek, North Carolina.

Longwood trailed 8-4 at the first media timeout, but went on a 10-4 run to lead 14-12 after a jumper by senior Mina Jovanovic|Smederevska Palanka, Serbia (Salt Lake CC) with 11:14 remaining in the first half. The Panthers went on a 10-1 run to lead 22-15 with 6:16 remaining. Smith scored back-to-back baskets to cut the deficit to 22-19 with 4:54 remaining. Reynolds drained a jumper to push the advantage back to seven, but Billups took a pass from Smith for a a layup, then Smith made a pair of free throws and a layup to cap a 6-0 Longwood run and cut the lead to 26-25 with 2:07 remaining in the half. Laura Whitt made a three-pointer, then junior Heather Tobeck|La Porte, Texas (La Porte) hit a jumper and junior Chelsea Coward|Mechanicsville (Hanover) converted a traditional three-point play to give Longwood the 30-29 lead with 0:57 remaining in the first half. Hallie Gunnoe made a layup to put the Panthers ahead 31-30 at halftime.

In the second half, High Point opened the period on a 9-1 run to lead 40-31 with 16:30 remaining. Smith scored Longwood's first field goal of the second half with 15:09 remaining to trim the deficit to 40-33. High Point went on a 20-6 run over the next 6:29 to extend the lead to 60-39 with 8:40 remaining. Billups made a layup with 4:00 left, but the Lancers would score the final four points from the foul line.

Longwood shot 30% (18-60) from the field and 57.7% (15-26) from the foul line. The Lancers were 0-8 from behind the arc. Smith scored a season-high 16 points (6-17 FG, 4-7 FT), while Billups (5-11 FG) and Coward (2-7 FG, 6-9 FT) added 10 points each. Longwood turned the ball over 19 times and HPU scored 20 points off of those turnovers. Smith dished out a team-high four assists.

High Point shot 41.3% (26-63) from the floor, including 38.5% (5-13) from behind the arc, and 57.1% (16-28) from the foul line. Reynolds led the Panthers with 19 points (7-17 FG, 3-5 3FG), while Cheyenne Parker scored 15 points and Shamia Brown added 12 points. HPU out-rebounded Longwood 53-39, including 35-17 in the second half.  

The Panthers lead the all-time series 14-11 and have won the past two meetings.