After dropping their first five games of the season, Longwood men’s basketball eased their way to their first win of the season on Sunday against Division III opponent N.C. Wesleyan 107-78. The win snapped a 21-game losing streak dating back to Jan. 4 of last season.
Redshirt senior guard B.K. Ashe led the way for the Lancers, dropping a career-high 31 points, shooting 13-of-20 from the field. Redshirt junior guard Isaiah Walton put together a stellar 22-point performance as well, who currently leads the team with 18.6 points per game.
Only six games into the season, the Lancers already have players dealing with injuries, including redshirt sophomore forward Jahleem Montague, junior forward Boaz Williams, freshman forward Jordan Cintron and redshirt senior forward Damarion Geter.
Men's basketball head coach Jayson Gee said redshirt freshman guard Juan Munoz has been declared out for the remainder of the 2017-18 season. This will be his second consecutive missed year due to injury.
Gee said he has altered some of his offensive and defensive strategies to adapt to different players’ styles in response to the teams' lingering ailments.
“When you lose those people, you’ve got to adjust what you’re doing,” he said. “The core of what we’re doing – ball movement, player movement and changing defenses – still stays the same, but obviously we’ve got a different starting lineup now. We’re just struggling a little bit dealing with the injuries."
Two of the main issues through the first six games this season, Gee says, has been the Lancers ability to defend, as well as produce chances on offense. Longwood's defense currently ranks eighth in the Big South conference, allowing 76.3 points per game, and ranks last in scoring offense, averaging 66.3 points per game.
Gee said he and his staff are continuously working to improve their “changing” defenses strategy in order to limit opponents’ opportunities and put his team in a position to succeed.
On the offensive end, through the first four games, the Lancers had 78 turnovers, averaging 19.5 per contest. However, the team has begun to address and correct these mistakes, turning the ball over for a season-low 17 times in their last two games.
“We’ve seemed to have solved that the last couple of games, but we’ve got to make sure that we are taking care of the basketball, because when you turn the ball over, you’re not getting a shot to go up," said Gee.
Aside from the early season concerns, Gee is satisfied with the depth of his 18-man roster and what they've provided despite the absence of key players.
“It’s given us more diversity. We’ve got guys that not only add depth to us, but can play multiple positions,” said Gee. “That type of versatility I think has really helped us become a better basketball team."
Unlike last season, Gee has room in his deep roster to fill vacancies with valuable secondary options. As non-conference play continues, he’s focused on resting players back to full health by the time their conference schedule rolls around.
He said, "We’re just trying to do some things now that helps us continue on that upward climb, that when we get everybody back, we’ll be a formidable basketball team.”
Montague, Cintron and Geter are all out for Wednesday's 7 p.m. game against Division II opponent Bluefield State, according to Gee. Williams is slated as questionable, but is expected to play.
