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FARMVILLE, Va. – Behind a balanced effort that saw four players finish in double-figure scoring, the Longwood women's basketball team earned a 60-49 victory in its home opener over N.C. Central Tuesday night inside Willett Hall.

The win for the Lancers (1-3) gave the squad a win in the home opener for the fourth time in five seasons since Bill Reinson took over the program six games into the 2010-11 season. Meanwhile, N.C. Central falls to 0-3 on the campaign.

"This was a terrific effort tonight," Reinson said. "We had energy from the outset and set the tone early. North Carolina Central is very athletic and posed a lot of defensive challenges for us.

Spurred behind double-digit points from Deborah Headen (12), Kyndal Skersick (11), Daeisha Brown (10) and Eboni Gilliam (10), the Lancers enjoyed a balanced attack. In addition, the Lancers were able to move the ball with ease, recording 14 assists on the night led by a career-high six assists from sophomore Micaela Ellis, who ranked top-10 in assists in the Big South entering the contest.

Second Team Preseason All-Big South selection Raven Williams finished one point shy of the double figure mark with nine points, while adding six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 25 minutes of action.

Skersick opened the game by going 2-of-2 from beyond the arc in the opening two minutes of the contest, helping the Lancers hit four of their first five shots in the game and race out to a 12-3 advantage. With her 11 points, Skersick posted her second straight game in double figures, while adding six rebounds, two steals and an assist in 29 minutes of playing time.

"I was able to get a lot of shots up before the game and I just carried that into the game as best I could to try to help us get a win," Skersick said. "Hopefully, we're able to build on the confidence that we gained from this game heading into our next game Saturday."

The Eagles – who received double figure scoring totals from Tisha Dixon (13), Chantal Thomas (13) and Monique Whaley-Briggs (12) – were able to close the margin to within six points with 7:32 remaining, before Longwood ultimately pulled away with a 10-5 run the rest of the way. In that stretch, Brenna Robbins all five of her points on the night.

"Brenna Robbins hit a big three when our offense was struggling," Reinson said.

The game also marked the home debut of Brown – who last played in Willett Hall during the 2013-14 season. The redshirt-junior finished the night with 10 points, which marked her season-high since her return to the lineup after missing the final 27 games of last season with a torn ACL.

"It felt great to get out there and play on play on our home court," Brown said. "Of course, I missed all of our games here last year, which was tough for me. Today, I was just trying to be myself, attacking the basket and make open shots."

In addition, the game saw the home debut of Gilliam – a junior college transfer from Richmond, Va. – who grabbed seven rebounds for the third time this season to go along with her 10 points.

"There are some areas that still need work, but this was a good win," Reinson said.

Up next, Longwood will play its next two games on the road, including a contest at UNCG Saturday, Nov. 28. Tipoff against the Spartans is set for 2 p.m.

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