ASHEVILLE, N.C. – For the second time in program history, Longwood men's basketball is heading back to the Big South Championship semifinals.
 
Led by 18 points in a dominant performance from forward Leslie Nkereuwem, the fifth-seeded Lancers made a statement in their opening game of the 2021 Big South Championship with a 77-61 upset over fourth-seeded UNC Asheville in Monday night's quarterfinal at Kimmel Arena.
 
The win earns Longwood (12-15) a spot in the league's final four for the first time since 2015 and a trip to Thursday's quarterfinals where they will face No. 1 seed and tournament favorite Winthrop (21-1) on the Eagle's home court in Rock Hill, S.C.
 
Now just one win away from reaching the Big South Championship game, Longwood's quarterfinal victory over the Bulldogs (10-10) is the latest milestone in the program's three-year evolution under head coach Griff Aldrich.
 
"This is the second time Longwood's been in the semifinals, so this is special for these guys," said Aldrich, who has amassed a program-record 24 Big South wins in just three seasons at the helm. "It's different once you win a game in the tournament, and when you start to advance it's a different feeling than getting a bye. Even though I think they were proud of earning that bye, this is a little bit of a different feel. They're really excited.
 
"As we've said, they're playing their best basketball at the right time. They're brewing with confidence more and more."
 
Aldrich's third year has produced yet another breakthrough season for the Longwood program, with the Lancers winning a school-record 10 Big South games, leading the Big South in scoring defense, and finishing the regular season winners of eight of their final 10 games. Monday night, after leading by double digits for the final 16 minutes, Longwood added its most lopsided Big South postseason win since joining the conference in 2012-13 to that list.
 
Fueling the Lancers' latest victory in that end-of-season surge once was a staunch perimeter defense that held UNC Asheville to 4-of-21 shooting from behind the line. That marked the second-lowest three-point shooting clip of the season for the Bulldogs, who entered the tournament ranked No. 2 in the conference in three-point percentage and armed with the Big South's top three-point shooter in Tajion Jones.
 
Longwood held Jones – also the Big South's No. 5 scorer at 16.0 points per game – to just 14 points in his 37 minutes, frustrating him throughout behind the defensive-minded backcourt tandem of DeShaun Wade and Heru Bligen. Wade contributed on the offensive end as well with 17 points as one of Longwood's four double-digit scorers, joining Nkereuwem, and Granlund and Munoz, who scored 10 apiece.
 
"They came out and I thought right from the start set the tone with their aggressiveness and competitiveness," Aldrich said. "I think we had 12 offensive rebounds in the first half. Leslie did a fantastic job, as did so many others, just hitting the glass and cleaning up our mess when we missed shots. I'm really proud of the guys."
 
Nkereuwem led one of Longwood's strongest interior performances of the season, as the Lancers bullied their way to 54 points in the paint and converted 14 offensive rebounds into 20 second-chance points. The 6-7 sophomore was nearly perfect from the floor, connecting on 9-of-11 field goals and throwing down three dunks.
 
"He played with great energy and activity," Aldrich said. "He stands out because he's a jumping jack, but he got so many good rebounds and putbacks. You take a shot, and then it's just so demoralizing when you give up an offensive rebound, and then a quick stickback. I think Leslie probably had three of those, and that was really important."
 
Three of Nkereuwem's nine field goals were on putbacks, as the Lancers won the rebounding battle 36-22 to match their largest such differential all season. More than half of those boards came from Longwood's guards, including six from the All-Big South point guard Munoz.
 
Longwood's upcoming semifinal bout against Winthrop will air on ESPN+ and WVHL 92.9 Kickin' Country FM in Farmville. Ticket information for Winthrop Coliseum will be available soon.
 
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