The Longwood Lancers improved to 3-0 with a 76-62 victory over fellow mid-major Milwaukee. Despite a slow start with poor shooting, Longwood controlled the boards and gained momentum after a corner three by junior guard Angelo Brizzi. Both teams struggled from beyond the arc in the first half, with Longwood going 2 for 9 and Milwaukee 2 for 12, leading to a 35-27 Lancers advantage at halftime.
In the second half, Milwaukee ramped up defensive pressure, forcing several turnovers. Longwood countered with electrifying plays, including dunks by junior center Elijah Tucker and senior point guard Kyrell Luc, and a transition 3-pointer from sophomore forward DJ Jefferson that brought the Joan Perry Brock Center crowd to its feet. The Lancers maintained their intensity, drawing frequent fouls for the third straight game and secured a decisive 14-point win.
Senior forward Johan Nziemi led the way for the Lancers with a career-high 16 points, whereas Kentrell Pullian’s 19 points made him the leading man for the losing Panthers.
“I thought this was a really physical game… you had two physical groups going after it,” said Longwood head coach Griff Aldrich. “One of the reasons we shot a lot of free throws was because we got into the bonus early in the second half.”
Luc, a point guard, was all over the place to the point where he finished the day with more rebounds than points.
“The fact that we’ve got two really good point guards in Kyrell [Luc] and Colby [Garland],” Aldrich said. “One of the great things is when people rebound on the defensive end, playmakers can get out and go.”
It was another game where the Lancers went deep into their rotation, with 11 players having checked in at some point. In a physical game, it’s usually the big players who step up and deliver. That was the case for this one as Nziemi matched up well with Milwaukee’s Faizon Fields and John Lovelace Jr., the former of whom actually fouled out.
“We did a good job of bringing the game to them and staying aggressive for 40 minutes. We knew it would be a physical game with their two bigs,” said Nziemi.
The Lancers were competitive and offensive, and they were the best in the second half this season.
“As one of the captains on the team, it’s our job to keep the guys engaged, even [if] we were not having a good night,” said Tucker. “I feel like if everyone keeps a good positive mindset and we come to compete every day with the right mindset and approach, no one can beat us.”.
In front of another raucous and sizable crowd, Longwood put together another win, but their most convincing win against a quality Milwaukee team.
“I thought Lancer Nation really showed out. [We] really appreciate everybody coming to the game and supporting us, it doesn’t go unnoticed,” said Tucker.
Longwood’s next game is at 1 p.m. ET Saturday against OVC team UT Martin at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
