12.15.2011

Box Score

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Longwood University women's basketball team dropped a 62-48 decision at Marshall University of Conference USA on Thursday afternoon in Huntington, West Virginia. Senior Brittanni Billups|Goldsboro, N.C. (Eastern Wayne) paced the Lancers with 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds, while juniors Chelsea Coward|Mechanicsville (Hanover) and Erin Neal|Durham (Hillside) added 10 points each. Marshall (7-2) was led by Lateidra Elliott with 14 points. Longwood (2-7) returns to action on Sunday, December 18, when it faces Wright State University at 2 p.m. in Dayton, Ohio, on the first day of the three-day Wright State Invitational.

Both teams struggled to find an offensive rhythm as the game was tied 2-2 at the first media timeout with 15:48 remaining in the first half. The teams traded baskets, then Marshall built a 13-8 lead. Billups hit a jumper, then junior Mieke Elkington|Hamilton, New Zealand (Cochise College) added a three-pointer to tie the game at 13-13 with 9:14 remaining. The Thundering Herd went on a 12-2 run over the next 7:30 to lead 23-15. Billups made a layup, junior Crystal Smith|Richmond (Meadowbrook) drained a three-pointer, then Smith made two out of three free throws to cut the lead to one at 23-22 with 0:05 remaining in the first half. Shynisha Johnson made a three-pointer from the corner as time expired in the first half to send the hosts in to the locker room with a 26-22 lead.

Billups hit a jumper to cut the lead to 26-24 with 19:00 remaining. The hosts extended the lead to nine at 35-26 with 15:33 remaining,but the Lancers slowly chipped away to trim the advantage to three at 39-36 with 12:52 remaining. The Herd went on a 9-2 run to lead 48-38 with 9:34 left in the game. Longwood cut the lead to eight, but could not get closer as the hosts went on to win 62-48.

Longwood shot 34% (16-47) from the floor, including 27.3% (3-11) from behind the arc, and 61.9% (13-21) from the foul line. Billups paced the Lancers with 13 points (4-11 FG, 5-6 FT) and a game-high nine rebounds. Coward (4-8 FG, 2-4 FT) and Neal (5-8 FG) added 10 points each, while Smith scored nine points (2-11 FG, 2-7 3FG, 3-6 FT). Smith and freshman Rianna Frazer|Baltimore, Md. (Seton Keough) added a team-best three assists, and Coward added three blocked shots. The Lancers turned the ball over 21 times, and Marshall scored 21 points off of the turnovers.

Marshall shot 41% (25-61) from the field, including 26.7% (4-15) from behind the arc, and 42.1% (8-19) from the foul line. Elliott scored a game-high 14 points (4-7 FG, 3-6 3FG) with five assists, while Chukwuka Ezeigbo (6-11 FG) and Erica Woods (5-7 FG) added 13 points each.The Herd out-rebounded Longwood 44-34 and scored 17 second-chance points. Elliott and Ezeigbo came off the bench to score 27 points as the Herd received 38 points from non-starters.

Marshall leads the all-time series 3-0 in the sport of women's basketball.