Longwood Men’s Basketball were crowned champions of the Big South Conference after a thumping win over UNC Asheville 85-59 in High Point, North Carolina. In a season where things looked rather bleak at times, including a 6-10 record in conference play, Longwood now looks forward to playing on the national stage.
The Longwood Lancers were pitted against the Bulldogs of UNC Asheville for the Big South Conference title after a comeback win in the semifinals over High Point. If the Lancers secured a win in this game, they were headed to March Madness. That certainly seemed to ignite Longwood as they came out on fire. The early lead was as much as 22-6. Midway through the first half, Longwood’s field goal percentage was 61.9%. Everything was clicking for the Lancers defensively and offensively. Longwood dominated the first half in every aspect of the game and led at the end of the first half 42-24. At the half, the Lancers were shooting 60% from the field.
The second half began the same way Longwood closed out the first, solid defense and smart offense. Nursing a massive lead, the Lancers were playing well enough to keep the Bulldogs out of the game. Szymon Zapala, the Lancers seven-foot center, would be key as Longwood ran away with the game. The Lancers were backed by very loud and supportive traveling fans, and the game would be closed out with a score of 85-59. As the clock ticked down to the final few seconds, Senior point guard Walyn Napper shared a hug with Lancers head coach Griff Aldrich when he was subbed out for the final time. This beautiful moment capped a wonderful display for the Lancers who will now wait and see who their matchup is for the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Napper finished with a double-double on 10 points and 11 assists. 11 assists is a new record for a Big South Championship game. Due to his commanding performance in all three tournament rounds, Napper was named Big South Tournament MVP. Graduate student forward Michael Christmas was named to the all tournament team along with the big man, Zapala, and Napper of course. Zapala and Christmas combined for 35 points in the game. Longwood did all of this while missing one of their key players, Sophomore forward Elijah Tucker, due to an injury. After the game, Zapala said, “I talked to Elijah before [the game] and all he said was ‘go win the championship.’ We all said before the game, we have to do it for him…”
After a regular season that raised eyebrows around the conference, Longwood kept pushing and never stopped believing. “The only people who didn’t realize they were 6-10 in conference are the guys in our locker room, and they knew they were a lot better [than that],” said Aldrich. “Their confidence in themselves and in one another has truly been remarkable”
In a season in which Longwood had nine new scholarship players, the team’s ability to bond has been pleasant to see for fans and coaches alike. Now they have a chance to compete on the national stage. “It's a dream come true for me, playing in a championship game, winning, and getting a chance to play in March Madness,” Zapala said.
So much was on the line for the Lancers, and it would have been easy for them to let the occasion get to them and come out flat. Napper said, “Coach Marty [McGillan] said before the game, don’t wait and see how the game is going to go," adding, “The whole team is a bunch of dogs.” Longwood now awaits their next opponent, which will be decided on Selection Sunday, March 17.
