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The snow kept falling outside the Joan Perry Brock Center on Wednesday night. Inside, shots were finally falling for Longwood, too – putting the Lancers back in the win column heading into the stretch run of the season.

Colby Garland scored 19 points, Michael Christmas added 18, and Kyrell Luc added 16 points, 11 assists and a spectacular come-from-behind shot block as Longwood beat Gardner-Webb 90-77 in the Joan Perry Brock Center.

Trey Hicks added to the balanced attack with 10 points, 5 rebounds and three blocks as Longwood dished out 22 assists and avenged a 92-87 loss in the teams’ first meeting of the season.

“Winning is great, but I do think maybe the biggest thing for us that I’m excited about is we said our goal has been to really finish this season as a team,” said head coach Griff Aldrich. “And we saw that tonight. Stats certainly tell the story, but even just watching the game – that looked like a team.”

This was a big one for the Lancers (17-11, 6-7 Big South), who had dropped five straight conference contests while battling a string of consequential injuries.

Longwood still fighting for title

The win keeps Longwood in the middle of the highly competitive Big South with three games remaining in the regular season. The Lancers travel to second-place UNC-Asheville on Saturday, then host Winthrop next Thursday, the second ESPNU national television broadcast from the JPB this season.

Wednesday’s win also guarantees Longwood’s fourth straight winning season under Aldrich. The Lancers had never previously finished above .500 at the Division I level since joining the Big South in 2012-13.

Longwood fans will have in mind memories of last season, when the Lancers also suffered through a hard stretch in early February – they were 2-8 in conference at one point – before rebounding spectacularly over the final weeks en route to a conference title and the NCAA Tournament.

Whether a repeat of that unforgettable turnaround is in the cards remains to be seen. But whatever lies ahead Wednesday’s win was a confidence-builder – with key contributions from Longwood’s two starting guards.

Luc and Garland combined for 16 assists, with Luc sparking a key run with two steals and two dunks just after halftime, helping the Lancers extend their 4-point halftime lead to 13.

Gardner-Webb made several runs, but the Lancers kept their poise, with key 3-pointers by Angelo Brizzi and Christmas down the stretch putting the game out of reach.

“The ball was moving around and we were sharing the ball really well for the vast majority of the game,” Aldrich said. “You had a lot of guys out there competing with a common goal of competing and trying to put the team first.”

Aldrich took time to single out his staff for keeping the team focused and positive during the recent rough stretch.

“Our staff has been phenomenal,” Aldrich said. “They have maintained a positive outlook. They have tried to breathe life into these guys. That’s also a huge key. My hope is our guys know that our staff loves them. It’s not just about the win. It’s been really fun to watch a lot of guys grow over the course of the year.”

Shoot for the Win

 Another winner Wednesday night at the JPB: Longwood student Cody Smith, who won $1500 in the Gantt Insurance Shoot for the Win contest during a timeout midway through the second half. Smith’s friends poured out of the bleachers and piled on in congratulations.

Aldrich wasn’t ready to celebrate like that, but he called it a good night for the program – back in the win column, and guaranteed of yet another winning season.

“It’s not just about the win,” Aldrich said. “It’s been really fun to watch a lot of guys grow over the course of the year. We’ve got a lot more basketball to play. I think this team can still make a lot of noise. It’s time for us to make a run.”

Longwood returns to action on Saturday, February 22 at 2 p.m.