CLINTON, S.C. – Behind three double-figure scorers and a strong rebounding effort, the Presbyterian Blue Hose (8-8, Big South: 1-0) gutted out a win over the defending Big South Champion Longwood Lancers (11-5, Big South: 0-1), 68-60, in their Big South Conference opener at the Templeton Center on Thursday afternoon.
 
Kaleb Scott paced the Blue Hose with 16 points while grabbing seven rebounds. Kory Mincy tallied 15 points. Kobe Stewart nearly recorded a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. Iverson King scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds off the bench.
 
The Blue Hose finished the game with a 43-33 rebound advantage. Presbyterian grabbed 14 offensive rebounds which led to 15 second-chance points.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF – Scott scored the game's first two points. Longwood scored six of the game's first eight points taking an early four-point lead. Then, the Blue Hose went on a 10-0 run capped off by a layup by Jamahri Harvey giving the Blue Hose a 12-6 lead with 14:38 on the clock. Stewart, Mincy, and Scott also scored during the run. Presbyterian led for the next four minutes until Longwood took an 18-16 lead with ten and a half minutes left in the half. Scott scored inside tying the score at 18. Then, Longwood scored eight of the next ten points taking a 26-20 lead with 6:49 on the clock. Presbyterian scored 12 of the next 18 points tying the score at 32 after two free throws from Scott with 1:56 on the clock. Longwood scored four of the final five points of the half taking a 36-33 halftime lead.
 
SECOND HALF – Longwood scored the first two points of the half increasing their lead to five. Back-to-back layups from Mincy and Stewart got the Blue Hose back within one point. The Lancers maintained their lead for the next few minutes until King scored on a fast break layup pushing the Blue Hose in front 41-40 at the 14:39 mark. Presbyterian would go on a 14-2 run pushing their lead to 51-42 after a three from the corner by King with 10:57 left on the clock. With Presbyterian leading 53-44 at the 10:08 mark, Longwood scored 12 of the next 15 points taking a 56-55 with 4:37 left on the clock. The lead exchanged hands a couple of times. Trailing Longwood by one point, Presbyterian's Mincy was fouled shooting a three-pointer with 3:18 on the clock, Mincy converted on all three free throws giving the Blue Hose the lead for good. Presbyterian closed out the win with timely rebounding and free throw shooting down the stretch.
 

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• Presbyterian's defense limited Longwood to 24 points on 30.8 percent shooting from the field with zero three-point field goals made in the second half.
• Scott's 16 points marked his fifth double-figure scoring game this season and the 13^th in his career at Presbyterian.
• Mincy's 15 points marked his 15^th double-figure scoring game of the season and the 21^st of his career.
• Stewart has recorded 12 double-figure scoring games this season and 33 in his career after his 13-point performance.  

 

NEXT GAME
The Blue Hose travels just over the North Carolina border to play the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs in their first Big South Conference road game this Saturday, January 4 at 2 p.m.