Liberty hosted the Richmond Spiders in a contest on Saturday December 13th. The Flames lost the game 76-61, this was a game that did not seem to fall in Liberty’s favor and seemed to just be a game in control of Richmond for the second half. This makes Liberty 6-3 on the year which is still arguably a strong record outside of conference play, Liberty soon will be entering into playing conference games which are the true testament for the season. Liberty will go on a stretch of away games soon battling foes like Hawaii, Oregon State, and conference opponent New Mexico State. This will be a grueling test for the Flames to test their adversity and confidence.
The Flames came out with good energy and kept the game close early. Liberty only trailed by three at the end of the first quarter and did a solid job matching Richmond’s pace. The offense was not perfect, but Liberty stayed aggressive and did enough on defense to prevent Richmond from pulling away. After ten minutes, the Spiders led 17–14, but the game still felt very even. In the second quarter, Liberty continued to hang around and showed they could compete with Richmond. The Flames cut the lead down to just two points at one point, mainly because of strong rebounding and effort inside. Ify Nwaobi was active in the paint, scoring around the basket and grabbing tough rebounds. Richmond stayed steady on offense and continued to find open shots, especially inside. At halftime, Richmond held a 36–31 lead, but Liberty was still very much in the game.
The third quarter was when momentum shifted. Richmond came out stronger after halftime and began to take control of the game. Liberty struggled to get into a rhythm on offense and started turning the ball over more often. Richmond took advantage of those mistakes and turned them into easy points. The Flames also had trouble getting good looks on offense, which led to a tough stretch where Richmond extended the lead. Richmond outscored Liberty 19–13 in the third quarter, creating a gap that was hard to close. In the fourth quarter, Liberty continued to fight and did not give up. The Flames made some shots from the outside and tried to push the pace to cut into the lead. However, every time Liberty seemed to gain momentum, Richmond responded with a big basket. Richmond stayed calm down the stretch and made their free throws, which helped them close out the game. Liberty was outscored 21–17 in the final quarter, and Richmond secured the 76–61 win.
Even in the loss, Liberty had some strong individual performances. Ify Nwaobi was one of the bright spots for the Flames, finishing with 16 points and 13 rebounds. She played tough inside and gave Liberty a reliable scoring option in the paint. Her effort on the boards helped Liberty control rebounds throughout the game. Avery Mills scored 11 points and provided energy from the perimeter. She hit key three-pointers that helped keep Liberty close, especially in the first half. Claudia Acin added 9 points and made an impact on defense with several steals. Emmy Stout also contributed 8 points and gave Liberty solid minutes when she was on the floor. While several players contributed, Liberty struggled to get consistent scoring from the rest of the lineup. Richmond’s balanced scoring made it difficult for Liberty to keep up as the game went on.
Rebounding was one of the biggest positives for Liberty. The Flames won the rebounding battle 39–28, which shows the effort and physical play they brought inside. This helped Liberty get extra chances on offense and stay competitive early in the game. Liberty also showed good effort and energy throughout the game. The Flames never stopped competing and continued to push even when they were trailing in the second half.
Turnovers were a major problem for Liberty. The Flames committed 17 turnovers, and Richmond made the most of them, scoring 27 points off those mistakes. Many of these turnovers came in the second half and played a big role in Richmond pulling away. Liberty also struggled to score consistently. The Flames shot 41% from the field and went through scoring droughts, especially in the third quarter. When Richmond increased defensive pressure, Liberty had trouble finding good shots. Defensively, Liberty had difficulty stopping Richmond in the paint. The Spiders scored 44 points inside, which made it hard for the Flames to get back into the game.
Liberty will head out west next week to take on Hawaii in a non-conference matchup as part of the Maui Classic. The long trip and time difference will be a challenge for the Flames, especially coming off a tough loss to Richmond, but it also gives them a good chance to bounce back. Hawaii has been up and down this season and relies on balanced scoring, so Liberty will need to stay locked in defensively and take care of the ball. If the Flames can control the boards, limit turnovers, and find a steady offensive rhythm early, they will put themselves in a good position to come away with a win before conference play begins.
