Lancers dominate in season opener
Men’s team drains 10 threes in blowout victory
On Nov. 6 the Longwood Lancers hosted Division-III opponent Randolph Wildcats and walked away with a commanding 84–56 victory. The game marks the debut for first-year head coach, Griff Aldrich, who is excited to start a new tradition for the Longwood University basketball program. Aldrich said, “I think our biggest goal is to establish our culture and a style of play, we want to have a high standard of accountability to ask the guys to play at the level we want to play.”
The Lancers played outstanding defense during the first half holding the Wildcats to only 16 points, recorded 10 steals and held the opposition to a field goal percentage of only 26 percent. Aldrich said, “I think they didn’t score a bucket for the first nine minutes of the game, regardless of who you are playing that is a good feat.”
However, the defense “lost focus” during the second half allowing the Wildcats to make eight three-pointers while shooting 53 percent from behind the arc and 43 percent from the field. The Lancers were able to sustain their own offense to carry out the win, led by redshirt Senior guard, Isaiah Walton, who came off the bench in a “coach’s decision” to supply a team-high 20 points in only 20 minutes played. Walton said, “It was fun to be the spark off the bench today and I will do what the team needs me to do to help us win.”
Walton shot 55 percent from the field while getting five rebounds and three steals. Walton also had three turnovers in the affair. Determined to be a spark plug for this year’s team, Walton has identified places to shore up his game, specifically “trying to be patient when trying to run the offense and let the flow of the game come to me and not force too much.”
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Along with Walton’s 20 points, the Lancers got a huge help from the bench raking in 53 points. Other notable contributors from the bench came from Senior forward, Spencer Franklin, who recorded nine points and five rebounds in 21 minutes. Freshman forward, Gus Okafor, who shot 57 percent from the three-point line and added 14 points, six rebounds and two steals to the Lancers total. Aldrich stated that he felt the team’s depth is “very valuable”. Aldrich said, “I think that Spencer Franklin had a really good night for us and plugged the gap with Pernell (Adgei) injured and (Damarion) Geter out as well as Gus Okafor, who came in and made some shots.”
Graduate student forward, Geter, was inactive with a broken nose he suffered in the scrimmage against William and Mary last week. Redshirt junior, forward, Adgei, “tweaked his ankle” after starting and playing eight minutes in the matchup against Randolph. Aldrich stated Adgei was able to return to the game but was held out due to the score. Another “coaches’ decision” occurred with freshman forward, Abraham Deng, who did not play. Aldrich and his staff are considering redshirting the 6’11’’ big man from the Sudan. Aldrich said, “Big A will be a really good player, he is extremely talented … the reality is, in his position, he is behind Damarion, Spencer, and Pernell, two of which will be moving on next year.”
Rising to the occasion, sophomore forward, Jordan Cintron, who excelled in his 26 minutes recording a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Cintron said, “Last year I didn’t get to start so I was looking forward to today and was just out there having fun and playing my A-game.”
Cintron said one of his goals this season is “to increase my leadership” and he’ll get his chance as Longwood travels to the University of Richmond to face the Spiders on Nov. 9 at the Robin Center with a 7 p.m. tipoff.
Walton shares the same aspirations of Cintron in hoping to perform at a high level for the season. Walton said, “My goal for the year is to be the best team we can be by March and get better every day and just win games.”
Aldrich prepares the team ahead of their statistically speaking, toughest non-conference opponent of the season. The Spiders currently rank 62 in ESPN’s college basketball power index Aldrich said, “I think that is certainly exciting for me and the fear of the unknown and now I have gone through it … It is nice to have one under your belt.”
