Four times this season, the Longwood women's basketball team has stepped on the court against an ACC team. Four times, they have left disappointed.
Virginia completed unaffiliated Longwood's tour of the ACC with an emphatic 93-42 victory at University Hall. The Cavaliers improved to 14-10 on the season.
The win was the first in seven games for the Cavaliers, who are coming off a brutal stretch against No. 1 Duke, No. 3 North Carolina and No. 4 Maryland.
"It's good to get back in the win column," Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said.
Leading the way for Virginia was freshman Lyndra Littles, who contributed a career-high 20 points along with 10 rebounds. Littles was most thankful for the win and the team's success in breaking the losing skid.
"I just thought about the goals that we had," Littles said. "That was the biggest thing on my mind."
The game was a welcome change for Littles, who struggled with foul trouble against UNC and sat on the bench for long stretches.
The Cavaliers charged out of the gate with a 15-0 run, and the rout was on. Longwood was held scoreless for the first five minutes and never recovered.
Many players who do not normally see much playing time found success and minutes against the Lancers. Freshman Britnee Millner and junior Tara McKnight played over 25 minutes for the Cavaliers, contributing a combined 17 points, six rebounds and seven assists.
"They played with a lot of energy tonight," Ryan said.
McKnight relished the opportunity to see significant minutes in a game.
"It's fun to be out there and to help the team in another way," McKnight said.
Virginia was able to dictate the pace of play against the slower, less athletic Lancers. The defense harassed Longwood the entire game, producing 15 steals and 25 total turnovers. Longwood's interior passes were constantly contested and often found their way into Virginia's hands, forcing Longwood to resort to shooting three-pointers.
Longwood abandoned the three in the second half and attempted to force the ball inside. Both methods proved ineffective, however, as the Cavalier defense easily handled the shift.
On the offensive end, Virginia was able to pound the ball down low to Littles and senior Siedah Williams, who ended with 16 points.
Virginia dominated the smaller Lancers in the rebounding category, with a decisive 46-27 advantage.
"We basically just played like we wanted to play," Ryan said of the performance against Longwood, adding, "We got a lot out of this game, [but] we've got to carry this into the next game."
Exactly how much they take from this game will be evident when the ACC schedule resumes on Saturday against Wake Forest. Virginia closes out its season with the game against the Demon Deacons, as well as home contests against Georgia Tech and Clemson before heading to Greensboro, N.C. for the ACC Tournament.
"We've just got to do our best to show what we've learned," Ryan said.
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