The Liberty Lady Flames won a second straight game after defeating Jacksonville State on Thursday night. The Lady Flames would end the weekend with a loss at Kennesaw State. The Flames are now 11-11 on the season and 5-6 in conference play.
Here’s a recap of the team’s recent action:
W, 60-55 @ Jax State, Feb. 5
Avery Mills scored a career high 27 points behind a career high seven three pointers to help lift the Lady Flames over the Gamecocks on Thursday night. JaKayla Thompson scored 11 points with five assists while Ify Nwaobi had seven points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
Thompson’s three point play with 4:40 left in the contest punctuated an 8-0 Liberty run and extended the Lady Flames’ lead to nine, the largest of the game. Jax State would respond with six straight points, making it one possession game at the 2:00 mark. Nwaobi would record one of her blocks in a key moment and grabbed the rebound. Thompson then scored a game sealing layup putting the Lady Flames up 5 with just 14 seconds remaining.
Mills left the game in the fourth quarter and would not return after suffering a lower leg or ankle injury. She was unable to put any weight on it initially while being helped towards the team’s locker room.
L, 64-58 @ Kennesaw State, Feb. 7
Liberty battled back from a 12-point third quarter deficit to take a pair of leads during the final two minutes of the Saturday afternoon contest. However, the Owls scored the game’s final nine points to pull out their first ever victory over the Lady Flames, now 1-13 against Liberty.
Playing without leading scorerAvery Mills, Emmy Stout led Liberty with 18 points, reaching double figures for the second straight game and the 17th time this year. Ify Nwaobi had a career high 17 points and 11 rebounds for her third double double to go along with 3 blocks. She scored 12 of her 17 points after halftime. Elisabeth Aegisdottir had 8 points while JaKayla Thompson had 6 points and Claudia Acin scored 5.
Liberty shot 44% from the field and was just 3 of 13 (23.1%) from three while making all 11 free throws. The three made triples were the fewest in a game this season for Liberty. Kennesaw took advantage of a 21-0 edge in fast break points.
The Flames outscored the Owls, 17-6, over the first 8:48 of the fourth quarter, taking a 58-55 lead on Ify Nwaobi’s three-pointer from the wing with just 1:12 to play. The Owls evened the score with a triple just 15 seconds later. After a Liberty turnover, Kennesaw scored what proved to be the game winner with 24 seconds left. Liberty missed its final three shot attempts and the Owls closed the game by shooting 4 of 4 from the free throw line.
Upcoming schedule
Liberty closes out the regular season by playing five of their last seven games at Liberty Arena.
2/12 vs UTEP, 6 p.m., ESPN+
2/14 vs New Mexico State, 2 p.m., ESPN+
CUSA Standings
Louisiana Tech…………10-1
Sam Houston……………7-3
Missouri State…………..7-3
Middle Tennessee…….7-4
FIU………………………….7-4
Jacksonville State…….6-5
Liberty………………………5-6
Delaware…………………..5-6
Kennesaw State……….4-7
New Mexico State…….4-7
UTEP……………………..2-9
Western Kentucky……..1-10
