Longwood Looking At A Rematch Set Between Two Current First Place Teams In The Big South
Women's Basketball
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The Opening Tip:
- Longwood is coming off a 3-0 week playing three games in five days against tough Big South competition. The team completed the regular season sweep (2-0) against both North Carolina A&T and Presbyterian.
- Akila Smith is ranked fourth in the country in blocked shots (75). Smith, joins McMakin, with a 10 game double-digit point streak, beginning a month ago.
- Kyla McMakin hit her 1,500 career point milestone on Sunday at Hampton scoring her tenth point from the charity stripe.
- After two explosive performances by Tra'Dayja Smith, she marks the third Lancer averaging double-digits points per game over the season.
- Kennedy Calhoun showcased her menacing defense adding 10 more steals last week. She is now one away from cracking the top ten in the program in steals in a single-season. No one has done so since the 1999-2000 season.
By The Numbers:
- Kyla McMakin has been able to keep the streak alive during Big South play, putting together 16 straight games in a row with double-digit point totals. McMakin grabbed a season best of 33 against Gardner-Webb in January, just shy of her career best, 36, she hit on Feb. 8 2020 vs. Presbyterian. McMakin also strung four consecutive games with 20 plus points, matching the Longwood record.
- Akila Smith has been one of the top shot blockers in the country in back-to-back seasons. This season is no different with the 5-10 forward being ranked first in the Big South with 75, and ranks fourth in the country. Smith is the only forward in the top 10 under six feet tall.
- Akila Smith wrote her name in the Longwood record books again with her second career triple double, the third in team history, with a 20-point, 11-rebound, 10-block effort at Sam Houston on Nov. 30. Smith also hit her 1,000th point this season back on January 29th against Radford.
- Kyla McMakin and Akila Smith are ranked amongst the top scorers in the Big South, coming in first (McMakin, 494) and fourth (Smith, 446) for final point total. This is the second straight season the duo sees themselves in the top five.
- Tra'Dayja Smith grabbed her second double-double of the year against North Carolina A&T last Wednesday (10 points, 10 assists). Smith remains the leading passer in the Big South for the second year in a row, with 144 assists. Smith ranks in the top 20 nationally.
- Kennedy Calhoun has been a menace to opposing guards defensively. She now has 76 steals, just one shy of putting her name in the Longwood record book for number of steals in a single-season. Calhoun ranks second in the Big South, and 7th nationally.
Last Time vs. The Spartans:
- USC Upstate had the upper hand on the Lancers taking the victory home to South Carolina, 76-69.
- In the most previous meeting Molly Coleman and Chellia Watson led USC Upstate to victory and combined for almost half of the Spartans points to grab the win.
- Freshman standout Rachel Rose added another 15, while also grabbing seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Rose went 5-6 from both the field and free throw line, while the team shot .826 from the line and .491 from the field.
Quoteables:
"Our women, they are so tough and resilient, and they've stayed the course this whole time to put us in this position. You look at the performance today, and so many women contribute, and it may have taken longer than we wanted to figure out how to put all the pieces together, but I definitely think we are playing our best basketball right now. Which is what every coach hopes happens this time of the year." –Head Coach
Rebecca Tillett
"Knowing the season is near the end, and knowing this is actually my last try at this, there is no more COVID year for me after this. I want to give it my all to help put the team in the best chance for the best seed in the conference. We all know what's at stake, so we have to stay focused. We all want a championship and we know what it's going to take to get one." –Graduate Student Guard
Tra'Dayja Smith
#HorsePower
