Box Score

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Longwood University women's basketball team used a 17-9 run late in the second half to seal a 67-52 victory against Big South Conference opponent Charleston Southern University (5-9, 0-5 BSC) on Saturday afternoon in Charleston, S.C. Seniors Chelsea Coward|Mechanicsville and Crystal Smith|Richmond led the Lancers (7-9, 4-1 BSC) in the outing with 23 and 20 points, respectively. Coward added a game-high 12 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season. Longwood returns to action to host Campbell University on Thursday, January 17. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The teams alternated baskets to open the game, tying at 2-2 and 4-4 before Longwood took its first lead of the day at 5-4 on a free throw by freshman Daeisha Brown|Richmond with 16:42 left to play in the first half. CSU regained the lead with a bucket from the paint, but Coward answered with five straight points to give the Lancers a 10-6 advantage at 14:44. The Buccaneers retaliated with a 6-0 run to take their last lead of the half, up 12-10, but LU followed with seven unanswered points to pull ahead, 17-12, with 11 minutes on the clock. Longwood maintained at least a three-point buffer until the Bucs converted on four free throw opportunities to cut the margin to just one, down 21-20, with 4:39 left in the first half. Longwood would not let the score stay close for long, using a 9-2 run to take its largest lead of the period, up 30-22 with 1:17 to go. CSU closed the half with four made free throws, but the Lancers still went into the break ahead, 30-26.

Coming out of halftime, Longwood turned three consecutive steals into buckets to extend its margin to 36-26 with 19:22 still to play in the game. The Bucs outscored the Lancers, 9-3, making it a two possession game, but Smith drained a deep three before Coward and Brown hit fast-break layups to put LU ahead, 46-35, with just over 12 minutes remaining in the outing. Charleston Southern managed to pull within nine points on three more occasions, the last time at 50-41 with less than nine to play, but could not come any closer, as Longwood used a 17-11 run the rest of the way to seal the 67-52 win, marking the team's largest margin of victory so far this season.

Coward tied a season-high with 10 made field goals en route to her game-high 23 points. In addition to Coward and Smith, Brown rounded out LU's double-digit scorers with 13 total points. Senior Erin Neal|Durham, N.C. contributed four steals to tie a season high. As a team, the Lancers shot a season-high 45% (29-65) from the floor, including 33% (7-21) from beyond the arc, and 33% (2-6) from the line.

Lakeitha Alston paced CSU with a double-double of 11 points and 12 boards. DJ Fowler added nine points, while Shay Jones tallied eight points. As a whole, the Buccaneers shot 30% (15-50) from the field, 25% (4-16) from three-point territory and 69% (18-26) from the foul line. Charleston Southern will play its next contest at Winthrop on Jan. 17 beginning at 7 p.m.

Saturday's contest marked just the third meeting ever between Longwood and Charleston Southern in the sport of women's basketball. Longwood now holds a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series.