Lady Flames Basketball Dominates Blue Hose
The Liberty Lady Flames basketball team lengthened its dominant seven-game home win streak to eight games by defeating the Presbyterian Blue Hose 63-55. The game was highlighted by the Lady Flames second half offensive post dominance which was composed of forwards Keyen Green and KK Barbour.
The Blue Hose (7-15) entered the Vines Center with the intention of dousing the Lady Flames red hot 7-0 home record this season.
“They shot 28 threes and were pretty successful,” Lady Flames head coach Carey Green said. “This game was determined on shooting percentages. We shot a higher percentage than they did but it was still a close game.”
The Lady Flames were efficient early in the game, taking short, inside-of-the-arc shots while the Blue Hose countered the Lady Flames approach with a steady stream of three-point shots.
“Even when you have a six-point or even an eight-point lead on them, in three possessions you could find yourself behind,” coach Green said. “They knock down the three pretty effectively.”
The Blue Hose came in to the matchup against the Lady Flames ranked 13 in the country in three-point average.
The Lady Flames departed from the court at halftime with a 31-30 lead. Late in the second half the Lady Flames looked to their down low dominance with sophomore Green and junior Barbour to give them the point separation that the Vines Center crowd was anticipating.
“Their post defense isn’t great,” coach Green said. “I felt like what we did in the fourth quarter we could have been doing all game.”
Green and Barbour combined for 17-23 field goals, showcasing to the Flames faithful the product of teamwork.
“I love playing with KK,” Keyen Green said. “It’s either I get an assist on her bucket or she gets an assist on my bucket.”
Those buckets were credited partially to the Lady Flames defense putting its offense in a desired position.
“I think our defense was very important,” Coach Green said. “It was very critical that we focused on our defense because our offense comes from our defense.”
In the fourth quarter, the Lady Flames defense held the Blue Hose to 10 points, while the Lady Flames offense delivered 16 of their own.
“Our emphasis has been to finish shots mostly and to take care of the ball,” Barbour said. “Lately I’ve been slacking and have not been able to finish. And (I’ve been) having a bit of confidence issues. I just prayed extra hard today and I’ve been working to finish. There’s room for improvement obviously.”
Green credited the fans for the Lady Flames home court success this season.
“We love our fans,” Green said. “It’s the fact that we need to protect our house. There’s a whole different emotion that comes in when you are protecting your own.”
The Lady Flames have outscored their opponents by 180 points this season while at home. As they look forward to hosting the Big South Women’s Basketball Championship in March, that statistic could prove to be a crucial factor in the Lady Flames tournament success.
At 14-8, the Lady Flames are in the Big South driver’s seat for first place. On Feb. 6, the Lady Flames will look to continue their 8-game win streak at the Vines Center when the Gardner-Web Bulldogs come to Lynchburg hoping to break the exciting trend that the Lady Flames have grown accustomed to.