Longwood is gearing up for an important game as it plays its final game before the holiday break. The Lancers are set to travel to North Carolina Central on Friday. This isn't their first encounter with the team during the holiday break; a season ago, they also played at N.C. Central. In fact, the two teams have played an in-season home-and-home for the second straight year, with the last game taking place on December 14 in Farmville.

Defense and Offense in the Win over Campbell

Longwood's defense was truly remarkable in their 77 - 55 win over Campbell. They limited the Fighting Camels to only 15 made shots and a shooting percentage of.333 (15 - 45) from the floor. The Lancers forced 14 turnovers, which is three more than Campbell's average, and converted those turnovers into 18 points. On the offensive side, they attacked the basket relentlessly, scoring 40 points in the paint and grabbing 15 offensive boards. Johan Nziemi led the charge with 13 points, while Michael Christmas added 11 points and Colby Garland chipped in 11 points and six assists. The team had 17 assists in total, and nine different players grabbed an offensive rebound. The bench also contributed 31 points, with the team's leading scorer coming off the bench.

Bench Depth and Fast Break Points

Longwood has one of the deepest benches in the nation. They rank 20th nationally and lead the Big South with 33.6 bench points per game. This depth allows them to play at a fast pace, and they lead the Big South in fast break points per game with 14.7, which ranks 45th nationally. The Lancers also lead the Big South in turnover margin (+4.0) and rank 28th nationally. They force 16.8 turnovers per game, which is second in the Big South and 12th nationally. These turnovers lead to 19.7 points per game for Longwood, while they only give up 12.8 points per game on turnovers. Their defensive prowess is evident as they are only surrendering 66.5 points per game, which ranks second in the Big South. In fact, the Lancers are 7 - 0 when surrendering 66 points or less.

Leading Scorers and Road Game Records

Over the season, Longwood's leading scorer has come off the bench four times in 13 games. Johan Nziemi led the team with 13 points at Campbell and came off the bench. The team's depth is also reflected in their ability to have six players average at least seven points per game, with preseason All - Big South selection Michael Christmas leading the team at 11.8 points per game. Christmas has scored in double figures nine times, including the past five games. Longwood has won two true road games this season in addition to a neutral site game at the Paradise Jam. They are 3 - 2 away from Farmville. The last time the team had a winning record away from home was in the 2021 - 22 season when they went 7 - 5. Over the past three seasons, Longwood has won 23 true road contests, with 8 true road wins in 2022 - 23 being a high - water mark in the past two decades.

Series History and Stats Comparison

In the series history against N.C. Central, Longwood has a 6 - 4 all - time record. Under Coach Aldrich, the record is 1 - 2, and the current streak is L 2. The first meeting was a win for Longwood with a score of 67 - 63 on 12/21/1980, but the last meeting ended in a loss for Longwood with a score of 77 - 70 on 12/14/2024. North Carolina Central won the first meeting this season. Four Lancers scored in double figures, with Colby Garland having a team high 15 while Michael Christmas added 14. However, N.C. Central shot better than 50 percent from the floor and used a second - half surge to hand Longwood its first home loss this season. In terms of stats comparison, LWU has a 2024 - 25 record of 10 - 3 and NCCU has a record of 6 - 8. LWU has a scoring margin of +12.1 compared to NCCU's +6.6. In rebounds, LWU has 37 compared to NCCU's 32. Opposing teams have 31.2 rebounds compared to LWU's 37. On the offensive rebounding front, LWU has 12.5 compared to NCCU's 13.1. Opposing teams have 8.6 offensive rebounds compared to LWU's 12.5. In field goal percentage, LWU is at.453 compared to NCCU's.457. Opposing teams have a field goal percentage of.452 compared to LWU's.453. In 3 - point percentage, LWU is at.291 compared to NCCU's.345. Opposing teams have a 3 - point percentage of.306 compared to LWU's.291. In 3 - point field goals, LWU has 6.2 compared to NCCU's 7.6. Opposing teams have 6.5 3 - point field goals compared to LWU's 6.2. In free throw percentage, LWU is at.747 compared to NCCU's.722. Opposing teams have a free throw percentage of.625 compared to LWU's.747. In free throws made, LWU has 19.5 compared to NCCU's 15.4. Opposing teams have 11.2 free throws made compared to LWU's 19.5. In assists, LWU has 13.7 compared to NCCU's 15.1. In turnovers, LWU has 12.8 compared to NCCU's 12.4. LWU forces 16.7 turnovers compared to NCCU's 18.1. The turnover margin for LWU is +3.9 compared to NCCU's +5.7. The assist / turnover ratio for LWU is 1.1 compared to NCCU's 1.2. In steals, LWU has 8.5 compared to NCCU's 10.4. In blocked shots, LWU has 2.5 compared to NCCU's 2.