Rapid reactions following Liberty’s loss to UNC-Asheville on Thursday night:
- The Flames fall to 0-3 to start conference play. It’s the first time Liberty has started conference play 0-3 since 2011-12 when they started 0-6.
- Turnovers continue to be a huge issue for the Flames. Liberty finished the game with 17 turnovers, but had 14 in the first half. This led to 18 more field goal attempts for Asheville.
- Maybe it was just me, but Joe Retic just seemed to be out of the game mentally, like he was just going through the motions. He finished the game with 5 points, 6 assists, but 6 turnovers. He only attempted 5 shots on the night.
- Theo Johnson provided a spark for the Flames midway through the 2nd half as they cut the Bulldogs’ lead to 1 on 2 different occasions. Johnson had 6 straight points for Liberty at one point during the run including a steal that he converted into a breakaway dunk. He would finish with 10 points and 6 rebounds on the night.
- Another bright spot was David Andoh. The JUCO transfer led the Flames with 14 points including a perfect 6/6 from the charity stripe. He knocked down a couple 15-foot jumpers throughout the game. Andoh would be a perfect complimentary piece as a 2nd or 3rd offensive option; unfortunately, with Gielo injured Coach Layer needs Andoh to be the primary option.
- 3-point shooting was one of the bigger stories of the game. Asheville came into the game as the top 3-point percentage team in the Big South with Liberty the top 3-point percentage defense. UNCA would struggle early as they hit just 1 of their first 10 3 point attempts. The Bulldogs would finish 9/29 on the night.
- Andrew Rowsey, the leading scorer in the Big South, finished with 13 points on 21 field goal attempts. He was 5/21 from the field and 1/12 from 3. He had numerous shots that went in and out. If he shot anywhere near the percentage he shoots for the season (40%), this game wouldn’t have been as close as it ended up being.
- During football games we generally gain 50+ followers on twitter during a game; however, during basketball games we always lose a handful of followers. I guess it just goes to show the state of each program.
- The Flames return to action Saturday night in the Vines Center when they play host to Coastal Carolina.
