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 Jessica Gerald's game-high 23 pts led NJIT |
March 2, 2008
FARMVILLE, VA - Longwood finished its season as a hot team and opened its final game of 2007-08 even hotter en route to a 60-49 win over visiting NJIT Sunday afternoon in the regular season finale for both teams.
Longwood, which came in having won its last four games, dominated the early going on Sunday and built a 22-6 lead in the first 12 minutes.
The Highlanders, who have shown tenacity in digging out of early holes on several occasions this season, eventually tied the game in the second half, but did not have enough to pull off what would have been a huge comeback victory.
Longwood, a Division I Independent that will not take part in the upcoming Independent Tournament in Edinburg, Texas, used its five straight wins to close the season at 16-13, doubling its 2006-07 total of eight wins.
NJIT, too, has doubled its win total from four in 2006-07 to eight in this, its second season of Division I competition and its first under head coach Margaret McKeon.
The Highlanders will have three games in the Division I Independent Tournament hosted by Texas-Pan American, starting with a 5:30 pm (CST) game on Thursday against first-time opponent Florida Gulf Coast.
On Sunday, the NJIT got a game-high 23 points from freshman guard Jessica Gerald, the six-time Division I Independent Newcomer of the Week.
Gerald, however, was the lone double-figure scorer for the Highlanders, who were beaten decisively on the inside, as Longwood had two players finish with double-figure totals in points and rebounds and a 32-18 scoring advantage in the paint.
Senior Keiva Small led the Lancers with 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds in her final career game and junior Anna Steg chipped in with a double-double of her own, finishing with 13 points and 11 boards. Freshman guard Cierra Baker came off the Longwood bench for 11 points.
Longwood led 5-0 early, but NJIT closed to 6-4 at 13:44 as Gerald made a three-point field goal and later one of two free throws.
The Lancers then extended their advantage to 22-6 with 8:14 remaining in the first half, putting the Highlanders behind the eight ball for the rest of the day. Six different players scored in Longwood's 16-2 run, including four points each from Small and junior Amber Sims.
The Highlanders fought back behind 12 first-half points from Gerald to trail 31-21 at the intermission.
NJIT continued its momentum to start the second half, capping a 29-13 run that spanned both periods to tie the game at 35-35 early in the second half. Gerald added five quick points in the second half for the Highlanders and Ivana Seric netted the tying bucket for NJIT at 16:14.
Longwood, however, responded with nine unanswered points for a 44-35 lead with 12:52 remaining, as Steg made four free throws, Small added a traditional three-point play and Baker scored on a layup.
NJIT again rallied to within with three points, 45-42, when Seric made the second of two free throws at the 8:35 mark.
But a 10-2 outburst by the Lancers made it 55-44 with 3:22 left and the hosts had control for good.
Gerald finished 8-for-18 from the floor, including 4-for-8 on three-point tries, but it was a shooting struggle for most of the rest of the team, as only Seric (4-for-6) was able to make more than half of her tries from the field.
Senior Erika Velez led NJIT with 10 rebounds, followed by nine for Seric, but Longwood, with its two double-figure rebounders, had a 54-45 team advantage off the backboards.
Neither team shot well, as both finished under 38 percent from the field and NJIT, which was 25-for-26 at the foul line just two games ago in a home win against Utah Valley, shot 10-for-24 at the line in Sunday's loss.
Longwood was nothing special at the foul line, either (19-for-35; 54 percent), but outscored NJIT on free throws, 19-10, in a game the Lancers ultimately won by 11 points.
