Zavala has double-double, High Point rallies past Longwood 59-53 for Big South title, 2nd NCAA berth
Zavala has double-double, High Point rallies past Longwood 59-53 for Big South title, 2nd NCAA berth
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) — Navaeh Zavala scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Highwood rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Longwood 59-53 in the Big South Conference championship game on Sunday and advance to the NCAA Tournament for the second time.
Without point guard Nakyah Terrell, who was injured in the semifinal game, the top-seeded Panthers struggled offensively for most of the game before finding a way to pull it out.
Earlier in the day the High Point men earned their first NCAA berth with a big second half rally.
Jaleesa Lawrence added 12 points for High Point (21-11), which ran its winning streak to nine games heading to its first Big Dance since 2021. Lauren Scott had 11 points, including a clutch 3-pointer in the fourth quarter and three free throws in the closing seconds.
Malea Brown had 14 points and 10 rebounds for second-seeded Longwood (22-11), whose only NCAA appearance came in 2022.
For the most part the game lacked any offensive continuity but Zavala had a three-point play to start a little surge that Scott finished with a rare High Point 3-pointer for its big lead of 54-48 and first lead since the first quarter.
Longwood shot 56% in the first half, making 6 of 7 3-pointers, for a 35-32 lead but the Lancers shot 23% from after intermission and missed all three 3s. They also finished with a season-high 25 turnovers.
Highwood shot just 39%, including a 3 of 18 performance behind the arc but made 12 of 14 free throws and had just 17 turnovers against a team that forces 25 a game.
Longwood led 35-32 at the half and 47-42 entering the fourth quarter.
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