12.3.2011

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Box Score

FARMVILLE, Va. - The Longwood University women's basketball team raced out to an early 15-0 lead and never looked back as the Lancers defeated visiting Radford University of the Big South Conference 73-59 on Saturday afternoon at Willett Hall in Farmville. Longwood led by as many as 28 points and never let the lead dip below 13 in the second half. Senior Brittanni Billups|Goldsboro, N.C. (Eastern Wayne) led three double-figure scorers with 15 points and 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season, while classmate Mina Jovanovic|Smederevska Palanka, Serbia (Salt Lake CC) added 14 points. Da'Naria Erwin Spencer paced the Highlanders (4-2) with a game-high 19 points. Longwood is off for fall semester examinations until Sunday, December 11, when it hosts Norfolk State University at 2 p.m. in Willett Hall.

Longwood jumped out to the quick lead after Jovanovic had a steal and took it the other way for the layup. Juniors Heather Tobeck|La Porte, Texas (La Porte) and Erin Neal|Durham, N.C. (Hillside) added back-to-back layups and Radford called a timeout down 6-0 just 1:04 into the game. The Lancers continued to push the ball and and capped a 15-0 run to start the game with a jumper by Jovanovic with 16:54 remaining in the first half. The Highlanders answered with a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 15-7. Longwood led 24-15 at the under-eight minute media timeout, then went on a 17-3 run to end the half with a 41-18 lead. The Lancers out-rebounded Radford 28-16 in the first half and scored 13 points off turnovers and 22 points in the paint.

The Highlanders cut the lead to 18 with 14:14 remaining in the second half, but Longwood used a 10-0 run to extend the lead to 28 at 56-28 with 11:02 remaining. Neal and Jovanovic scored four points each on the run, while senior Morgan Smith|Williamsport, Md. (Williamsport) added a pair of free throws. Radford attempted a comeback and cut the lead to 13 at 65-52 after Erwin Spencer made one of two foul shots. Jovanovic made a layup, the Neal drained a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 69-52 with 1:40 remaining. The Lancers went 4-for-10 from the foul line the rest of the way, but won 73-59.

Longwood shot 52% (26-50) from the floor, including 28.6% (2-7) from behind the arc, and 57.6% (19-33) from the foul line. The Lancers shot above 50% from the field for the first time since Dec. 28, 2009 against Virginia Commonwealth University. Billups paced the Lancers with 15 points (6-9 FG, 3-4 FT) and 10 rebounds, while Jovanovic added 14 points (6-9 FG, 2-4 FT) and Neal contributed 12 points (5-7 FG, 2-2 FT). Junior Chelsea Coward|Mechanicsville (Hanover) added nine points (3-5 FG, 3-4 FT) and 10 rebounds. Morgan Smith scored nine points (2-8 FG, 4-8 FT). Longwood out-rebounded Radford 48-43 and scored 36 points in the paint. Freshman Rianna Frazer|Baltimore, Md. (Seton Keough) scored five points with a team-high four assists, while Tobeck blocked four shots for her 100th career block to move in to third place on the all-time list. The Lancers received 24 points from the bench, the most this season.

Radford shot 26.3% (20-76) from the floor against the Longwood zone, including 16% (4-25) from behind the arc, and 78.9% (15-19) from the foul line. Erwin Spencer scored a game-high 19 points (9-24 FG), while Sarah Tabb recorded a double-double of 11 points (3-5 FG, 5-6 FT) and 11 rebounds. Ashley Buckhannon added 12 points (4-18 FG).