FARMVILLE, Va. – Alphonzo Billups couldn't miss, and Longwood rode his career-high 25 points to thrilling 82-75 overtime win over USC Upstate on Saturday afternoon at the Joan Perry Brock Center.
Billups drained six threes, all after halftime including a monster triple in overtime, and he added a career-best eight rebounds to go with three steals and three assists for the Lancers (14-14, 6-7 Big South).
That, plus an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double from
Elijah Tucker and 10 points from
Redd Thompson Jr., was enough to edge a USC Upstate (11-16, 3-9 Big South) side that had three in double figures, with Karmani Gregory leading the way with 23 points.
"I told the guys on Wednesday that an important key in life is showing up,"
Ronnie Thomas said about his team's response after back-to-back narrow results went against them last week. "We talked about in our preseason about how important people in our lives, the key was the reliability and that they always show up. I think the reason why it went our way today is because these guys are continuing to show up, and they're not really flinching or trying to change course. I think that's really important."
Billups poured in at least 20 points for a second straight game, and he gave the Lancers the lead in overtime with his three on the team's first possession.
"Doing whatever it takes to get the win and bringing that confidence," Billups said of his mindset going into the game. "My teammates found me, and I was able to hit the shots. I just let the game come to me. Whatever the game presented it is when I would step up, and I hit the shots today, and I'll continue to hit the shots.
"Obviously it fell with Fats [Billups] tonight," Thomas said. "Fats has played in three straight games that have been very consistent. Unfortunately at Winthrop, he only got to play in half that game for certain reasons, but I think Fats is someone that we are really excited about."
Upstate rebounded and tied the game on a Karmani Gregory three with 1:33 to go, but Tucker shook off a hard fall earlier in overtime to score five straight and give Longwood an 80-75 lead.
The graduate student sank two foul shots to break the tie before Billups found him cutting to the rim with 20 seconds to go for an essentially game-sealing and-one. Longwood's defense also held USC Upstate scoreless for the final 1:33 to preserve the win.
"Fats seeing me running down the floor, and I just do what I do where I caught the ball and tried to lay it in, and luckily it went in the way I was shooting layups this game" Tucker said of his final bucket. "I'm just blessed to be here, and I'm glad we won the game."
The overtime came after the two sides traded body blows throughout the game Neither side led by more than nine, and there were 10 ties and five lead changes.
"That was the talk at the end of regulation, we have to up it even more. We've got to really lock in these last five or six minutes," Tucker said of the team's mindset going to overtime. "So that's what we did. I'm proud of how we stayed together, even when stuff wasn't going our way."
Longwood returns to the court with back-to-back road games at Presbyterian on February 19 and at Charleston Southern on February 21. Both games will air on ESPN+.
#GoWood #HorsePower
