For the last time
Lady Flames senior class plays final game at home
The Lady Flames locked up the second seed for the 2016 Big South Conference Championship, despite losing to the Presbyterian Blue Hose 57-49 on Senior Day Saturday, March 5, at the Vines Center.
Buckets — Senior guard Jaymee Fisher-Davis scored two more 3-point field goals to put her at 125 in her career at Liberty. Photo credit: Michela Diddle
Liberty earned the No. 2 seed for the second time in three years.
“It hurts but I find some type of happiness in ‘hey my season isn’t over, its not the end of the world, the basketball will stop at some point,’” senior Sadalia Ellis said.
Liberty came out firing early in the first quarter, hitting three triples in the first three minutes to take a quick 10-3 lead.
Unfortunately, the Lady Flames then missed the following eight shots to end the quarter, allowing Presbyterian to go on a 9-0 run to take the lead.
“They were just being physical inside, and we didn’t match their physicality,” Liberty Head Coach Carey Green said.
Liberty senior Catherine Kearney put the Flames in front 16-14, with six points early in the second quarter. The Lady Flames then went cold and did not score a basket for the final six minutes of the half to put Liberty in a 28-20 halftime deficit.
The Blue Hose stretched the deficit to 10 points before Liberty went on a 6-1 run, ending the third quarter with two free throws from senior Jaymee Fisher-Davis, drawing within five points heading into the fourth quarter.
Liberty pushed the score to 40-43 behind eight straight points from senior Ashley Rininger and Kearney with 4:20 left to play. Presbyterian sophomore Cortney Storey knocked down a dagger three to beat the shot clock and bring her second half total to 13 points, halting the comeback.
“I think Cortney Storey had a really good game,” Presbyterian Head Coach Ronny Fisher said. “She did a great job tonight of handling the basketball. She hit a big three there when we were in need of it.”
The Flames continued to struggle offensively, ending the game with a 57-49 loss. The Presbyterian defense held Liberty to just 29 percent shooting and made it difficult to get the ball down low.
“They had a lot of doubling, packing it in on defense, which was making it hard for the guards to get it into the post,” Liberty senior Katelyn Adams said. “And then once we had it, there’s just so many girls on us.”
Despite the loss, Green spoke about how proud he was of his graduating class of Lady Flames.
“Thank you, (seniors),” Green said. “They have had an amazing four to five years, those five have totaled 4,050 points. I would’ve liked to have about nine of those points tonight.”
Coach Green encouraged his team to have focus and put a high level of energy directed at things that are important heading into the 2016 Big South Women’s Basketball Championship.
“Going into the conference championship I have to give it all I have because I know I won’t have another chance,” Ellis said. “I can always do something to help this team, whether it is causing somebody to take a terrible shot or throw it out of bounds.”
Adams also left the game with a great sense of urgency knowing that this is the seniors’ last trip to the tournament together.
The defending champion Lady Flames will start play Friday, March 11 at 6 p.m. against the winner of seventh seed Charleston Southern and 10th-seeded Longwood quarterfinal round matchup at Kimmel Arena in Asheville, North Carolina.
COllIER is a sports reporter.