With 19 seconds to go in the game, Longwood found themselves down one. After a missed free throw, Junior guard Jaylen Benard — who hadn’t scored all game — hit the biggest one of the night to give Longwood the lead.
Followed by a steal by Redshirt Senior forward Elijah Tucker, Graduate forward Johan Nziemi sealed the win at the free throw line as the Lancers’ defense held off the Buccaneers — winning a thriller in overtime, 81-79.
Head Coach Ronnie Thomas said, “I challenged the guys. Do something you haven’t done in conference yet. That was to win two in a row.”
Throughout the course of the game, both teams played to their strengths. Longwood got to the free throw line, making 28 of 34 attempts, and worked from the post. Charleston Southern hit from behind the arc.
Four Lancers ended in double figures for Longwood, with Tucker and Nziemi going to work inside, forcing a defensive collapse and resulting in Longwood making the right reads for easy looks.
Tucker led the way with 21 points, nine rebounds and three steals. He drew a ton of attention throughout the game which helped open up Johan Nziemi inside for looks at the basket and vice versa. Nziemi finished with 17 points, four rebounds, and four steals himself.
Nziemi said, “Everytime I get double teamed, I tell Elijah, I’m going to find you. Every time he gets double teamed, he’s going to find me.”
Longwood as a team only took three triples behind the arc through the course of the game. Physical play inside allowed for Junior guards Jacoi Hutchinson and Emmanuel Richards to finish with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
The Lancers, in total, combined for 32 points in the paint compared to the Buccaneers’ 22. “We got a group of physical guys. Johan, he’s a wall. Jacoi on defense and Emmanuel is doing everything. He was everywhere. We just didn’t quit and we played with a lot of grit tonight,” Tucker said.
Although Longwood dominated inside the paint, Charleston Southern hit 14 clutch three-pointers. The Buccaneers overcame an 18 point deficit in the second half that carried them into overtime.
Leading all players in points was Buccaneer guard A’lahn Sumler with 30 points, also adding on nine assists. Guard Brycen Blaine added 20 points and forward Jesse Hafemeister, had 17 points.
After a one-legged triple by Sumler to tie the game at 67. Both sides suited up for the extra five minutes of play time. “We get a stop and go into overtime. I told them, it’s one possession at a time. Focusing on each possession, not getting freaked out,” Thomas said.
Charleston Southern led as much as three in overtime, but steady control and poise at the free throw line helped keep Longwood competitive. The Lancers nailed eight out of their 10 free throws, which was more than half of the 14 they scored in the extra five.
In the end, Benard was the hero, taking the ball up the court and laying in a tough bucket over the Buccaneer defense. “He didn’t have the game he wanted to have, but he was able to come in the game, and help us win it with a big bucket,” Nziemi said.
The Longwood Lancers improved to an overall record of 12-10 and a conference record of 4-3, they now sit fourth in the standings. Meanwhile, the Charleston Southern Buccaneers even up their overall record to 11-11 and add to the losing column in conference play with a record of 2-5. They sit seventh in the standings.
The Lancers' next matchup on the road on January 29 at 7 p.m. in Spartansburg South Carolina, as they face USC Upstate, who are coming off a loss against Gardner-Webb.
