2.20.2012

Box Score

YouTube Video Highlights

FARMVILLE, Va. – The Longwood University women's basketball team won its final home game of 2011-12 in Farmville, beating future Big South Conference opponent Gardner-Webb University 76-65 Monday night. Chelsea Coward|Mechanicsville (Hanover) paced the Lancers (6-22) with a game-high 21 points, adding six rebounds and four steals. The Runnin' Bulldogs (3-22) were led by Catrina Green who posted a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. Seniors Brittanni Billups|Goldsboro, N.C. (Eastern Wayne), Mina Jovanovic|Smederevska Palanka, Serbia (Salt Lake CC), Morgan Smith|Williamsport, Md. (Williamsport), Courtney Long|Mechanicsville (Hanover), and Kacie Oliver|Portsmouth, R.I. (Portsmouth) were recognized before the game on Senior Night. Longwood finishes its 2011-12 campaign on the road at NJIT in Newark, New Jersey at 2 p.m. on Sunday, February 26.

Junior Erin Neal|Durham, N.C. (Hillside) got things started as she stole the ball at 17:56 and finished a layup to help Longwood take the early 2-0 lead. After Gardner-Webb tied it at 2-2 just 20-seconds later, the Lancers took a 4-2 advantage with 17:21 on the clock and only allowed GWU to tie the game twice more, at 16-16 with 7:54 to go and 23-23 with 5:59 on the clock. The Lancers answered with 10 points after the final tie, making it 33-29 at the intermission. Billups and Neal added four points each in that run.

The second period would see three more tie scores and an effort by the Runnin' Bulldogs to take the lead 52-50 with 8:43 remaining via a jumper from Jasmine Dale who finished with 12 points. After falling behind by a basket, Longwood responded with 10-straight points for a 60-52 lead at 4:27. GWU tried to keep within striking distance, answering with a steal by Kiki Smith who converted two foul shots for a 60-54 mark at 4:09 to go, but the Lancers didn't let up and eventually took a doube-digit lead at 2:39 off a three-pointer from junior Crystal Smith|Richmond (Meadowbrook) that made the score 66-56. LU wouldn't let GWU within eight points the rest of the way thus preventing any chance for the Runnin' Bulldogs to mount a comeback. Neal would scored the last three points of the game, which resulted in the final 76-65 tally.

Coward led all scorers with 21 points (8-14 FG, 1-2 3FG, 4-7 FT) -- 13 of which came in the second half -- and added six rebounds, four steals and one assist. Crystal Smith scored 18 points (4-11 FG, 3-6 3FG, 7-10 FT) with six assists, three steals and three rebounds, while Neal went 5-7 from the floor and 5-6 from the free throw line, which resulted in a 15-point effort complemented by four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Billups finished with 14 points (4-15 FG), including a perfect 6-6 from the foul line while adding seven rebounds, one steal, one block and one assist.  Longwood shot 37.5% (24-64) from the floor, including 33.3% (4-12) from behind the arc, and 72.7% (24-33) from the foul line. The Lancers also turned 25 GWU turnovers into 21 points.

Green led the Runnin' Bulldogs with her 14 point (7-12 FG), 10 rebound double-double, while Kiki Smith finished with 13 points, Dale had 12, and Brianna Dillard also had a double-double on 11 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.  Gardner-Webb shot 37.1% (23-62) from the floor, including 50.0% (5-10) from behind the arc, and 82.4% (14-17) from the foul line.