FARMVILLE, V.A. – Three Eagles scored in double-figures for the first time this season as Winthrop came up short Friday night against Longwood, 73-68.
WINTHROP (2-8, 1-6 BSC)
KEY CONTRIBUTORS
Anika Riley (15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists)
Myra Strickland (14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal)
Madison Ervin (11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal)
LONGWOOD (7-7, 6-3 BSC)
KEY CONTRIBUTORS
Kyla McMakin (20 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist, 1 block)
Akila Smith (14 points, 13 rebounds, 11 blocks, 4 steals, 2 assists)
Anne-Hamilton Leroy (13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal)
Tra'dayja Smith (10 points, 8 assists, 1 rebound)
HOW IT HAPPENED
This game can be described as the tale of two halves. The Eagles struggled in the first half to take care of the ball, committing 10 of their 16 turnovers in the first 20 minutes. The Eagles scored 29 first-half points before scoring 28 points in the third quarter alone. The Lancers took a 17-point lead into the locker room at halftime, 46-29.
The Eagles offense came out of the break hot, opening the third quarter with a 22-8 run to make it a one-possession game, 54-51 with 4:53 left in the third. Following a timeout, Longwood responded with a 6-0 run of its own to slow Winthrop down and extend their lead to five with 10 minutes to play.
Myra Strickland scored 11 of her 14 points in the third quarter.
Despite the strong offensive performance in the third quarter, Winthrop was held to just 4-of-18 from the field in the final 10 minutes, with the Lancers forcing four turnovers. Ultimately Winthrop couldn't find a solution for Longwood's Akila Smith, who recorded the second triple-double in Longwood women's basketball DI history.
Winthrop recorded a season-high seven 3-pointers, with three players recording double-figures for the first time this season.
Myra Strickland and
Madison Ervin both went 3-of-4 from behind the arc.
THE NUMBERS
- Winthrop outrebounded its opponent for the sixth time this season, this time 43-31.
- Winthrop's bench put up 16 points in the contest, led by J'Mani Ingram who contributed 9.
- The Eagles committed 16 turnovers, resulting in 17 points for the Lancers.
- Longwood turned the ball over 11 times, resulting in 12 points for the Eagles.
- Winthrop shot 39.1 percent from the field, 53.8 percent from 3-point range and 61.1 percent from the free throw line
- The Lancers shot 49.2 percent from the field, 30.8 percent from behind the arc and 69.2 percent from the line
- After Friday's games, the Eagles lead the conference with a +4.7 rebound margin
- With eight rebounds in Friday's contest, Anika Riley is now 14 rebounds away from taking sole possession of 10th most rebounds in program history
UP NEXT
The Eagles will look to even the series against the Lancers when these teams face-off on Saturday, Jan.16 inside Willett Hall. The game with air on ESPN3 at 6 p.m.
