1.2.2012

Box Score

FARMVILLE, Va. - The Longwood University women's basketball team dropped a 73-51 decision to visiting Coppin State University of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference on Monday afternoon in Willett Hall in Farmville. Longwood was led by junior Chelsea Coward|Mechanicsville (Hanover) with a season-high 16 points, while classmate
Crystal Smith|Richmond (Meadowbrook) added 11 points and five assists. The Eagles (5-9) were led by Jeanine Manley with 24 points. The Lancers (2-14) return to action on Wednesday, January 4, when they face San Diego State at 10 p.m. ET in San Diego, California. The game will be televised on the MountainWest Sports Network (The Mtn.), which is available on DIRECTV channel 616.

Longwood led 5-3 after a layup by senior Morgan Smith|Williamsport, Md. (Williamsport) and a traditional three-point play by Crystal Smith with 16:47 remaining in the first half. CSU scored the next six points to lead 9-5 with 15:25 remaining, but a layup by junior Heather Tobeck|La Porte, Texas (La Porte) pulled the Lancers within two with 14:51 left in the first half. The visitors extended the lead to 11 with 1:39 remaining, but a free throw by junior Mieke Elkington|Hamilton, New Zealand (Cochise College) and a layup by Crystal Smith cut the deficit to 29-21 with 0:40 remaining in the half. Coppin State scored the last five points of the half, including a three-pointer by Crystal Whittington as time expired, to lead 34-21 at halftime.

In the second half, CSU extended the lead to 18, but Coward scored four of the next six Longwood points to cut the lead to 41-29 with 16:41 remaining. The Eagles slowly pushed the lead to 21 (59-38) with 9:06 remaining. Coward made a pair of free throws, then senior Kacie Oliver|Portsmouth, Rhode Island (Portsmouth) hit a jumper and Coward drained a three-pointer to cut the lead to 61-45 with 6:56 remaining. That was as close as the Lancers would get as Coppin State extended the lead to as many as 24 points before winning 73-51.

Coward scored a team-high 15 points (4-13 FG, 2-5 3FG, 6-6 FT) and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds with three blocked shots. Crystal Smith added 11 points (4-14 FG, 0-5 3FG, 3-3 FT), five assists, and a career-high six steals. Longwood shot 25.9% (15-58) from the floor, including 18.8% (3-16) from behind the arc, and 94.7% (18-19) from the foul line. It was the best Longwood had shot from the foul line since a 95.2% (20-21) effort against William and Mary last season. The Lancers tied their season-high with 12 steals and added nine assists and six blocks.

Manley scored 24 points (7-11 FG, 10-12 FT) and added six rebounds off the bench, while Whittington scored nine points with a game-high 13 rebounds. Shawntae Payne dished out a game-high seven assists. The Eagles shot 39.7% (29-73) from the floor, including 30% (3-10) from behind the arc, and 85.7% (12-14) from the foul line. CSU turned 21 Longwood turnovers in to 22 points and out-scored the Lancers 42-20 in the paint.

Today's meeting was the first between the two programs in the sport.