Longwood men’s basketball pulled off a stunning upset that will likely etch itself in Longwood folklore. On Saturday, March 9, a sold-out and hostile crowd at High Point University saw Longwood pull out a one-point victory against their home team – meaning the Lancers will now play for the Big South Conference title on Sunday.
The Longwood Lancers entered the Qubein Center on Saturday morning for the toughest test of the season. A tournament semi-final against top-seeded High Point in High Point, North Carolina, was not going to be an easy thing for Longwood to pull off. The Lancers would not enter the game on a hot streak, as they missed their first few shots. High Point started the game well but slowed down as Longwood started to finally get some shots to land. Graduate student forward Michael Christmas drained two three-pointers in the first half to keep the Lancers in the game. The Lancers trailed at half 36-29.
High Point began the second half absolutely on fire. Longwood looked slow in transition and seemed to not value the ball as turnovers increased. For much of the second half, the Lancers were down by as much as 15. Whenever Longwood were able to make plays on the offensive end, High Point responded right back, usually by way of a three-pointer. However, the Lancers would not give up. Senior point guard and team-leader-in-points Walyn Napper led the Lancers on a run with two three-pointers. Senior center Szymon Zapala frustrated the Panthers defense and shot clinically from the free-throw line which sent the game into overtime. The team showed no quit and simply played their best basketball with the season on the line.
As overtime got up and running, it was clear to see what the Lancers wanted to do on offense. They were pounding the ball to the other end and getting quick buckets, as well as putting a big emphasis on taking care of the ball. With just 26 seconds to go, Zapala banked in a tough layup that put the Lancers back in the lead 78-77. After Napper led a defensive stop, Longwood made foul shots and Longwood went on to seal the incredible comeback 80-79. It is not only a comeback win in the conference tournament, it is a comeback against the top-seeded team in the conference on their home court.
Napper finished the game with 16 points and seven assists. Zapala had 16 points despite only playing 19 minutes in the game. Longwood now wins their third game in a row, and their sixth out of their last eight. It seems like forever ago, but the Lancers were dead last in the Big South in early February. Now, they’re playing for a spot in March Madness. “An incredible, gutsy effort from our guys…I’m thrilled we won the game,” said Lancers head coach Griff Aldrich. “But I’m really thrilled with the resilience of these guys, their ability to stay the course.”
Longwood now focuses on the championship game against UNC Asheville on Sunday, March 10 at noon on ESPN2. “As a kid you dream of moments like this… We just stick together no matter what comes our way, and we're just going to continue to keep fighting," said Napper. “We're in the championship game now and that's what we're going to do." A season full of twists and turns comes down to one make-or-break game in High Point, North Carolina.
Longwood v. High Point, March 2, 2024
