2.26.2012

Box Score

NEWARK, N.J. – Longwood University took a 69-66 women's basketball victory on the road at the New Jersey Institute of Technology from the Great West Conference Sunday afternoon in Newark, New Jersey to close out its 2011-12 season. The Lancers (7-22) entered halftime riding a 16-0 run that tied the game at 32-32. Senior Brittanni Billups|Goldsboro, N.C. (Eastern Wayne) led LU with a game-high 25 points, which also tied her career-high mark. Denisa Domiterova led the Highlanders (11-16) off the bench with 18 points via 6-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc. This win concluded the 2011-12 season where LU went 7-22 overall, including 5-3 at home and 2-17 on the road while 0-2 in neutral-site match-ups. The squad also finished on a two-game win streak.

Longwood led to start the game 2-0 at 19:29, but the Highlanders would take control of the game and chipped away to their first double-digit lead at 8:26 up 20-9. LU pulled within eight (20-12) at 7:47 off a foul shot by junior Chelsea Coward|Mechanicsville (Hanover) -- who scored nine points in each half -- before NJIT scored eight unanswered, taking its largest lead of the game 28-12 off 12 points from Domiterova with 6:12 remaining. Entering the final media timeout with 3:05 left and the score 32-19, the Lancers proceeded to rally, going 1-2 from the foul line and a perfect 3-3 on field goals as well as 2-2 from three-point range that notched the score 32-32 at intermission.

LU then opened scoring in the second period to take its second lead of the game, 34-32 with 18:54 on the scoreboard. Billups made the first seven of Longwood's points en route to her 19-point second-half effort. The teams swapped baskets between 14:58 and 9:54, which made the score 45-44 in favor of NJIT a few minutes before the hosts took its largest second-half lead at 6:38 for a 55-49 score. That was the last time NJIT would lead because a Longwood drive of six points was triggered where Coward scored four, tying the game (55-55) for the seventh time at 4:57. Three more tie scores would ensue before the Lancers ended the game with 10-straight foul shots in the last 2:33 and only allowed the Highlanders seven points that included a last-second triple from Nicole Maticka.

Billups led with her game- and career-high 25 points off 9-10 from the charity stripe, adding nine rebounds, two assists and one steal. Coward finished with 18 points, three rebounds and two blocks. Junior Crystal Smith|Richmond (Meadowbrook) was 6-6 from the free throw line, scoring 11 points with two assists. LU shot 35.6% (21-59) from the field, including 40% (4-10) from three-point range and an impressive 82.1% (23-28) from the foul line. The visitors also turned the ball over just 11 times, which was the second-lowest total of the season, committing only 10 turnovers against NJIT on January 14 in Farmville.

Domiterova led NJIT with her 18-point effort, while Maticka added 15 points and tied a school-record with nine blocks. NJIT shot 46% (23-50) from the field, including 50% (10-20) on three-pointers and 66.7% (10-15) from the line.

It was the seventh meeting between the two schools in the sport, and Longwood continues to lead NJIT 5-2, including a 72-71 barnburner victory at home earlier this season (1.14).