Wake Forest transfer Isaiah Wilkins recorded his first collegiate double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds to power Longwood to a home-opening 80-46 win over Virginia University of Lynchburg Friday night in Willett Hall.
The 6-4, 215-pound Wilkins led Longwood on the offensive end throughout, finishing 8-of-15 from the floor with five offensive rebounds in his second game with as a Lancer (1-1). He scored 12 of those points in a runaway second half in which the Lancers outscored the Dragons 48-24 en route to their largest margin of victory in four seasons under head coach Griff and the program’s largest margin since a 90-52 win over Cairn on Dec. 28, 2015.
Wilkins was one of two double-digit scorers and two double-digit rebounders for the Lancers, leading redshirt sophomore Nate Lliteras, who finished with 12 points, and junior forward Leslie Nkerweuem, who grabbed 10 rebounds and neared a double-double of his own with eight points.
In front of their first home crowd since 2019-20 – following last season’s COVID-restricted attendance policy – Longwood blew the game open in the second half, shooting 19-of-37 (.514) to Virginia-Lynchburg’s 9-of-26 (.346) from the field. The Lancer defense forced the Dragons (0-1) into 19 turnovers for the game and converted those giveaways into 27 points.
Virginia-Lynchburg guard Dominique Williams carried the Dragons offense with 24 points on 11-of-19 shooting while playing all 40 minutes.
The win marks the start of a five-game homestand for the Lancers, who will host Mid-Atlantic Christian Sunday at 3 p.m. and then gear up for three games in three days against American, UMBC and Western Carolina at the Jerome Kersey Classic on Nov. 19-21.
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