The Longwood men’s basketball team succumbed to their seventh straight defeat on Jan. 28, falling to Presbyterian, 71-62. The Lancers dropped to 6-15 (3-7), while the hosts improved to 5-16 (1-9).
Longwood, down to just seven scholarship players following the loss of redshirt sophomore guard Bryan Gee, entered just two days after a 93-62 drubbing at the hands of Liberty. The shorthanded visitors poor form continued in Clinton, S.C. as they came up short against a Blue Hose side that had not won in the Big South this season.
"We were able to sustain some runs and fight back in it. We just didn't have enough at the very end," said head coach Jayson Gee of the official Longwood athletics website.
The first half was a tightly contested affair, with both sides grabbing 15 rebounds and shooting above 45 percent from the field. Despite eight points from redshirt junior forward Khris Lane alongside seven from sophomore forward Chris Shields, Presbyterian led 31-28 at the break.
In the second half, the Lancers ran out of gas, as their shooting percentage plummeted to just 37 percent, while gifting the hosts 15 points from the free throw line. Senior forward Ed Drew picked up 21 points for the Blue Hose, along with 19 and 15 from redshirt junior guard Reggie Dillard and freshman guard Jo’Vontae Millner, respectively.
"(Drew) was solid and, unfortunately, he forced us to foul him," Gee said on the official Longwood athletics website. "When he got to the free throw line, he capitalized. We were in mismatch situations, he got big on small, and our small guys, when we got in early foul trouble, weren't able to put the level of resistance on him they needed to. To (Drew's) credit, he finished those opportunities."
That offensive firepower was too much for Longwood to handle, despite a double-double from Lane, who finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds across the 40 minutes of action.
Senior guard Darrion Allen notched 13 points to go with five rebounds, and Shields tallied 12 points and seven rebounds of his own.
"Chris Shields, this was by far his best game," Gee said on the official Longwood athletics website. "Twelve points, seven rebounds; he was really a factor in the game. That's the way he's been practicing, which is why I put him in the starting lineup. He's been frustrated at his performance so far this season, and hats off to him for making a big jump today."
Gee will need more performances at that level from his depleted squad, as they host High Point on Feb. 1. The Lancers will look to end their losing streak against the Panthers, having beaten them 60-55 back in December.
