It was a season-opener to forget for the Longwood men’s basketball team against Maine on Nov. 13. A shoddy second half condemned the now 0-1 Lancers to an 80-58 loss to the 1-1 Black Bears at Willett Hall.
“I think their team did a great job of making timely threes and timely shots, and made some good decision out there on the court,” said head coach Jayson Gee. “And really we could never get over the hump, whether it be our ability to finish at the basket or our ability to take care of the ball. We just had some untimely turnovers that led to their momentum.”
The new-look Lancers tipped off their season with just two returning starters in the shape of senior guard Darrion Allen and redshirt junior forward Khris Lane. The pair started brightly as Allen notched 12 points while Lane had 11 points to go with a pair of blocks in the first half.
Meanwhile, the Black Bears spread the scoring load around in the opening half. Eight different scorers tallied for the visitors led by junior guards Wes Myers and Ilker Er, each with seven points. Maine controlled the boards as well with 24 rebounds including six from Myers.
The first half was a tight affair as neither team gained a lead higher than four points. Despite 11 lead changes, it was the Black Bears who held a 33-29 advantage at halftime.
Following the break, it was a different story, as the Lancers full-court press failed to slow down the Maine offense. Er buried a trio of three-pointers in under four minutes to open up a nine point lead for the visitors.
The Black Bears would not relinquish that advantage as the Lancers struggled to get offensive production in the second half. Allen and Lane combined for just nine points after the half, and redshirt sophomore guard Isaiah Walton’s 12 second-half points were not enough to keep up with the visitors.
“I think we got a lot of fatigue,” said Gee. “We were depending on some guys now with our depth reduction to do a lot more than maybe what they’re capable of at that level.”
Gee cited that fatigue as the cause for the Lancers’ 16 turnovers, which led to 18 points for the Black Bears.
“I think that had something to do with it. We just tried to get the ball into some small windows that were just impossible to get through, and those turnovers certainly hurt us.”
Nearly all the Lancers’ production came from the trio of Lane, Walton and Allen, who led with 18 points. Conversely, Maine had five players in double figures, and dominated inside, outscoring the hosts 38-22 in the paint.
“We just couldn’t get any production out of our wing players,” said Gee. “The wings allowed penetration that force(s) the big guys to have to step up outside the lane and leaves their guys open.”
Longwood will hope to rebound against Stephen F. Austin State University on Nov. 15. The game tips off in Nacogdoches, Tx. at 11 a.m. on ESPN2.
