The grind of a college basketball season rarely announces itself.
It builds quietly through travel days, film sessions and long stretches of conference play when every possession feels heavier than the last. For the Longwood Lancers women’s basketball, that stretch has arrived just as the program prepares for the postseason.
The Lancers (20-9) will open play in the 2026 Big South Women’s Basketball Championship Thursday night as the tournament’s No. 3 seed, facing No. 6 seed UNC Asheville Bulldogs women’s basketball at 8:30 p.m. inside Freedom Hall Civic Center.
For head coach Erika Lang-Montgomery, the lead-up to the tournament has been less about scoreboard results and more about maintaining the identity her program has built. “When we win or lose, I tell them the next thing is to get back to work,” Lang-Montgomery said. “One game doesn’t define us.”
That philosophy has helped guide a Longwood team that has now posted back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in 26 years. Lang-Montgomery has compiled one of the strongest winning percentages in program history during her tenure, building the Lancers into a consistent contender in the Big South Conference.
Recent games against Garder-Webb and USC Upstate reflected the kind of stretch every team faces late in a conference season, which is competitive, physical games where execution can fluctuate.
Lang-Montgomery said those moments reveal more about a team’s habits than its shooting percentages. “I thought we worked really hard,” she said. “Our execution could be better at times, but really it’s about limiting mental lapses and being super sharp when it matters.”
That emphasis on controllables has shaped the team’s mindset entering tournament play. “I thought we worked really hard,” she said. “Our execution could be better at times, but really it’s about limiting mental lapses and being super sharp when it matters.”
Consistency has also been driven by veteran leadership in the locker room.Senior guard Jaci Bolden, a key rotational player averaging more minutes this season than last, said the team’s chemistry has helped carry the group through the physical demands of conference play.
“I would just say our team chemistry for sure,” Bolden said. “We like being around each other. We laugh a lot. So it’s never a dull moment when it’s all of us together.”
Bolden said that chemistry shows itself most during the toughest stretches of the season. “We encourage each other through the aches and pains,” she said. “That’s what keeps us connected.”
That connection extends beyond the locker room and into the relationship between players and their head coach. “She’s one of those coaches where you have to earn her trust,” Bolden said. “I think I’ve done that, and she’s earned mine too.”
Bolden said that trust helps the team keep perspective when momentum stalls. “It’s not the end-all-be-all when we lose games,” she said. “Even if it’s two in a row or three in a row, we stay consistent and know we’re capable of being better.”
Lang-Montgomery said she evaluates her team less through box scores and more through how players respond to adversity. “When execution isn’t perfect, I’m looking at our energy,” she said. “Are we connected? Are we still competing the right way?”
That connection shows up long before game night. Bolden described a productive week for the team as one built on daily discipline. “Consistency in practice, being coachable in film,” she said. “And being intentional with the little stuff such as recovery, team time and even community service.” Those habits have helped Longwood remain competitive in the conference race while also producing individual recognition across the roster.
Graduate guard Malea Brown was recently named Co-Big South Defensive Player of the Year while also earning All-Big South Second Team honors. Brown ranks among the conference leaders in steals, assists and scoring while anchoring Longwood’s defensive identity.
Forward Otaifo Esenabhalu leads the conference in rebounding at more than nine boards per game, while Francis Ulysse has provided a balanced inside presence with double-figure scoring and strong rebounding. Freshman guard Jesstynie Scott has also emerged as one of the league’s most disruptive defenders, leading the conference in steals per game.
For Lang-Montgomery, those accolades reflect the type of habits she hopes will translate into postseason success. “I really appreciate who they are as people,” she said. “They’re a fun group to coach, and they show up every day.”
Bolden said that daily commitment is what keeps the team grounded entering the most important stretch of the season. “Every day is a new day,” she said. “You can’t get too high or too low as a leader. You have to reset and be ready to be better.”
Now, with the conference tournament beginning, the margin for error will only shrink. But Lang-Montgomery believes the foundation her team has built through chemistry, trust and consistent habits, gives the Lancers a chance to keep playing deep into March.
“As long as we show up the right way,” she said, “we give ourselves the best chance to get the outcome we want.”
