Skersick finishes with team-high 16 for Lancers

North Carolina-Greensboro senior guard Lucy Mason had a game-high 24 points and the Spartans went 29-of-41 from the free throw line en route to an 81-60 victory over Longwood University women’s basketball Saturday afternoon inside Fleming Gymnasium.

Mason finished the game 6-of-19 from the floor, while adding 11 free throws, five rebounds, four steals and an assist in 39 minutes.

The performance for Mason marked her sixth straight game with 20-plus points to open the year, as she came into the game third in the NCAA with 27.3 points per game.

She was one of four Spartans (3-3) to finish in double figures, along with Jazmine Missouri (15), Jade Scaife (14) and Shanese Harris (13). In addition, Scaife added 14 boards to finish the contest with a double-double.

Mason had 18 of her 24 points in the first half, including a 5-of-9 performance from the field.

She was part of a UNCG offense that was able to get to the basket and draw contact against Longwood defenders, as the 41 free throws attempted by the Spartans marked the most Longwood has given up this season.

However, it was Missouri who had a career day with nine of her 15 points coming in the second half. In addition, the double-double for Scaife marked the second of her career, while the 14 rebounds marked a career-high.

Longwood (1-4) had three players finish the game in double figures, including Kyndal Skersick (16), Micaela Ellis (12) and Daeisha Brown (12).

For Skersick, she has scored in double figures in three straight games, while the 12 points marked a season-best for Brown, who is coming back from a torn ACL that cost her the final 27 games of last season.

“This was a disappointing outcome for us,” said Longwood head coach Bill Reinson. “We were down eight points early in the third quarter, and then we stopped competing. We need to be tougher and more willing to sacrifice our bodies for the team.”

Trailing by eight at the half, Longwood closed the margin to five points midway through the third quarter, before the Spartans rattled off an 11-0 run to end the period with a 16-point lead.

Up next, Longwood opens early conference play Tuesday, Dec. 1 with a trip to High Point. The game is set for a 7 p.m. tip.

“Conference play begins Tuesday,” Reinson said. “We’ll need to play much better.”