After another game and another explosive win, another trend is forming for Longwood men’s basketball. Several of them, in fact.
In their fourth consecutive win by at least 25 points, Longwood (4-1) dominated UMBC on both ends of the floor and cruised to an 82-55 victory on day two of the Jerome Kersey Classic Saturday night in Willett Hall.
For the fourth straight game, the Lancers held the opposition under 40.0 percent shooting from the floor, won the rebounding battle and showcased a fast-paced offense that scored 48 points in the paint and 14 off turnovers. Led by 15 points from Wake Forest transfer Isaiah Wilkins and 14 from Big South Preseason All-Conference guard Justin Hill, five Lancers scored in double figures as Longwood shot a season-best .569 (37-of-65) from the floor.
The win is the latest in a dominant season-opening stretch for the Lancers, who have opened their fourth season under head coach Griff Aldrich with wins of 80-46 against Virginia University of Lynchburg, 93-47 over Mid-Atlantic Christian, 82-42 over American and Saturday’s 27-point win over UMBC. All four of those victories have come on their home court in Willett Hall, and all four have drawn more than 1,200 fans after Longwood University re-opened Longwood home games to spectators.
Those spectators, who numbered a season-high 1,512 Saturday, have been treated to the latest evolution of Aldrich’s Lancer squad, which has ascended to the top tier of the Big South. Now averaging 82.0 points per game and a 22.8-point margin of victory, Longwood ranks among the Big South’s top three in scoring offense, scoring defense, scoring margin, field goal percentage, rebounding margin and turnover margin.
Longwood’s two wins at the Jerome Kersey Classic have boosted those numbers and have the Lancers one win away from sweeping their first home multi-team event of the Division I era. The most recent of those saw Longwood dominate UMBC from the opening tip, as a first-half flurry built a 47-24 lead by halftime and gave the Lancers the lead for all but the first 26 seconds of the game.
Wilkins scored 15, Hill added 14, and Leslie Nkereuwem (12 points), DeShaun Wade (11) and DA Houston (10) all finished in double figures, giving Longwood five double-figure scorers for the second time in five games this season. Twelve Lancers scored Saturday, following the 11 that scored Friday.
Now with just one game remaining the three-day tournament, Longwood will shoot for a tournament sweep Sunday against Western Carolina. That game tips off at 4 p.m. on ESPN+.
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