Box Score FARMVILLE, Va. – Sophomore Raven Williams/Richmond notched a team-high 18 points and a career-high eight rebounds, as the Longwood University women's basketball team made a valiant second-half comeback before eventually succumbing to Big South Conference opponent UNC Asheville (6-9, 3-3) on Thursday evening in Farmville. The Lancers used a 27-12, second-half run to take the lead with less than a minute remaining in the contest, but the Bulldogs sealed the decision with a three-point jumper from Paige Love with just seconds to go. Love scored a game-high 22 points in the outing. Longwood (5-10, 2-4) returns to action when the squad welcomes Big South foe Gardner-Webb University to Willett Hall on Saturday, January 11 for a 2 p.m. tilt.

"This is a tough one to lose," said head coach Bill Reinson. "We finally found a group in the second half who wanted to battle, and they brought us back from a pretty big deficit. To come all the way back, take the lead and then lose is unfortunate. I am very proud of their effort. Give credit to Asheville. They made a big shot when they needed it."

Asheville jumped in front with the first eight points of the night before sophomore Daeisha Brown/Richmond got the Lancers on the board with a jumper from the paint. The Bulldogs followed with a 9-2 spurt to take their largest lead of the half, up 17-4 with 13:49 remaining in the period. Longwood quickly closed the gap to just three, thanks to a 9-2 run that included threes from Williams and classmate Deborah Headen/Herndon. Sophomores Kyndal Skersick/Orlando, Fla. and Khalilah Ali/Suffolk converted on one free throw apiece, but UNCA knocked down back-to-back field goals to regain a double-digit advantage with just over four minutes to play in the half. The teams traded baskets in the waning minutes and the Lancers cut the deficit to five on two occasions before Asheville hit a pair of free throws to take a 35-28 edge into the break.

Coming out of halftime, the Bulldogs outscored the Lancers, 10-2, to pull ahead, 45-30, with 16:21 to go. The visitors would maintain control with at least a 13-point margin for the next four minutes until Williams drained a layup to spark 11 consecutive points for Longwood and make it a two-possession game at 51-47 with just under eight minutes remaining. Brown knocked down a layup at 5:33, pulling the Lancers within three points, but UNCA was able to regain an eight-point buffer at 62-54 with less than four minutes left in the contest. The home team continued to battle, as the Lancers converted on five free throws and Brown drained two layups, including the go-ahead bucket at 1:42 to give her squad a 63-62 edge. The lead changed twice more in the next minute before Love sunk a deep three from the top of the arc with just 10 seconds to play, putting the Bulldogs up for good and sealing the 69-65 decision.

Brown added to the Lancers' offensive effort with 17 total points, while Headen rounded out the squad's double-digits scorers with 11 points. Freshmen Brenna Robbins/Erie, Pa. and Treasure Avery/Lincolnton, N.C. recorded five boards apiece in the outing. As a team, the Lancers shot 33% (24-73) from the floor, including 26% (5-19) from beyond the arc, and 63% (12-19) from the line in the outing.

Tianna Knuckles logged a double-double for the Bulldogs with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. As a whole, UNC Asheville shot 42% (26-62) from the field, 27% (4-15) from three-point territory and 77% (13-17) from the foul line.

Thursday's contest marked the sixth meeting ever between Longwood and UNC Asheville in the sport of women's basketball. The Lancers still hold a 4-2 advantage in the all-time series.