The Opening Tip• Longwood begins early conference play with a trip to High Point Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Lancers and Panthers will open the conference schedule for the third straight season.
• Sophomore
Micaela Ellis has posted 15 assists this season compared to just four turnovers for an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.8-to-1. That ratio is the best among players in the Big South this season.
•
Kyndal Skersick has been on a tear recently in leading the Longwood offense. Skersick has scored in double figures in three straight games including a 16-point effort in Longwood's last game against UNCG. Skersick is shooting a .400 clip from the field this season.
By The Numbers• The Lancers will square off against three schools from Power-Five conferences — No. 9 Oregon State, Virginia and West Virginia. The three games against the power five is the third most of any team in the Big South.
• Longwood opens the 2015-16 season with six of its first seven games on the road. The first two games of the season come against NCAA Tournament squads in 2015 with Oregon St. and James Madison. In addition, Virginia -- the third opponent for the Lancers -- were among the field at the 2015 WNIT.
•
Raven Williams and
Daeisha Brown are poised to break the 1,000 point mark this season. Williams sits 189 points shy of the 1,000 point mark, while Brown is 164 points away.
•
Raven Williams is the Big South's lone returning player to rank among the top-10 in the league in points (14.3 PPG, 4th), assists (2.2 APG, 6th), steals (1.5 SPG, 6th), and minutes played (34.7 MPG, 3rd).
•
Micaela Ellis is among the top-10 in the league in assists (3.3 APG) this season and ranks at the top of the charts in conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.8).
• In her return to the court this season, redshirt-junior
Daeisha Brown has started all but one game on the season and has scored in double figures in each of her last two games against N.C. Central and UNCG.
• Longwood added five players to its roster for the 2015-16 season.
Eboni Gilliam comes to Longwood after two seasons at Cape Fear Community College, while
Ciarah Bennett,
Ashlee Jones,
Kemari Jones and
Kate Spradlin join the Lancers from the high school ranks.
Last Time Out• UNCG senior guard Lucy Mason had a game-high 24 points and the Spartans went 29-of-41 from the free throw line en route to an 81-60 victory Saturday afternoon inside Fleming Gymnasium.
• Mason finished the game 6-of-19 from the floor, while adding 11 free throws, five rebounds, four steals and an assist in 39 minutes. The performance for Mason marked her sixth straight game with 20+ points to open the year, as she came into the game third in the NCAA with 27.3 points per game.
• Longwood had three players finish the game in double figures, including
Kyndal Skersick (16),
Micaela Ellis (12) and
Daeisha Brown (12).
Scouting the Panthers• High Point enters Tuesday's contest with a 1-6 overall record, including a loss in each of their past six games since earning an 82-49 win in the season opener against Greensboro College.
• Tuesday's game marks the third straight season that Longwood has opened conference play at High Point. The Panthers earned an 81-60 win over the Lancers last season at the Millis Center.
• Kaylah Keys is the leading scorer this season for the Panthers, as she is averaging 16.3 points per game. Keys is fifth in the Big South in scoring, while ranking among the top-15 in steals per contest.
• The Panthers were tabbed fourth in the Big South Preseason Poll for the 2015-16 season.
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