Alumnus lifts Legends to close win

Former Liberty baller Damien Hubbard’s lay-up and steal proved clutch

The No. 11 Lynchburg Legends were outshot from inside the key, outshot from the three-point line and outshot at the free throw line. They were also out-blocked and out-rebounded by the visiting No. 14 Greensboro Cheetahs.

The Legends, however, were only interested in one stat at the end of the game Saturday — the final score. The Legends pulled out a thrilling 126-123 victory in the closing seconds of the game before hundreds of exuberant fans.

Needing to overcome a 19-point deficit at the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Legends steadily chipped away at the Cheetahs’ lead, slowly closing the gap to within two points with 7:42 to go in the game.

“Coach (Aaron Smith) just told us that this shouldn’t be happening on our home court. The crowd wasn’t into it so it was almost like we were playing an away game. So we had to get back and bring up the energy to get the crowd back into it,” Ryan King said.

King, who formerly played for Virginia Union University in Richmond, recorded 18 points and five rebounds in 29 minutes of play against the Cheetahs.

The energy returned to the arena when Jeremi Booth capitalized off of his own steal with a layup to tie the game while picking up a foul that he would turn into the go-ahead shot. Booth recorded 12 points and four steals in 27 minutes on the court.

“We’ve been down that much before and in the ABA (American Basketball Association) the games are so long with the media timeouts and the 12 minute quarters. We know that 20 points is nothing in a quarter. We can come back and we have the firepower to do that,” Smith said.

The Legends were able to hold the edge until, with 27 seconds to go, they surrendered the lead to go down 123-122. Needing a score and a takeaway to finish their near-miraculous comeback, Liberty graduate Damien Hubbard scored on a lay-up to regain the lead. He then immediately recorded a defensive steal that drew a roar from the crowd and helped seal the deal for the hometown team with just a few ticks left on the clock.

“(Damien) was coached very well at Liberty,” Smith said. “Any way we need him, we know we can count on him. Whether it’s rebounding or playmaking or scoring or defensively, I know I can count on him. He’s a great captain. He often helps get our team in order.”

Frisco Sandige, formerly of Delaware State University, had a stellar night for the Legends leading his team in scoring with 27 points while shooting 9-17 from the field and 9-18 from the free throw line.

“(Sandige) drew a lot of fouls tonight. He didn’t make all the free throws that he wanted but in general he was aggressive which was what we were looking for,” Smith said.

It was the fouls that Sandige drew on offense that separated the two teams. Oddly enough, both teams shot exactly the same number of points from the field in the second half, but the Legends scored on 19 of 24 free throws compared to just six points off foul shots for the Cheetahs.

The Legends next home game is Feb. 4 at the Lynchburg City Armory. Cost of admission is $8 for adults and $5 for children. Liberty students can attend for $5 with their Flames Pass.

Liberty connection

Team CEO Derek Polley is a recent Liberty University graduate who took his love for the game of basketball and his education in business and produced a new professional basketball team.

“God was telling me to mix my passion for basketball and business. I started investigating in 2009 what it would take to get it started,” Polley said.

Polley graduated in May 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in business management and hit the ground running with his basketball plans in the fall less than six months removed from life as a student. Polley did the recruiting himself, choosing to hold open tryouts. He picked his team then followed up by hiring his coaching staff.

He appears to have a keen eye for talent, as the expansion club has already risen from obscurity to a No. 11 ranking in the national ABA polls and is poised to enter postseason play in its first season.

“ABA is an exciting brand of basketball. We have a lot of athletes. We entertain, that’s our big thing. We’re professional basketball in Lynchburg. We’re entertaining. We’re good and we win,” Polley said.