Flames Fall to Radford in Buzzer Beater at Big South Championship
After a long-fought defensive battle between the No. 5 Liberty Flames and the No. 2 Radford Highlanders, the Big South Championship game was tied with one minute and ten seconds left on the clock. The winner would receive a ticket to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
Junior guard Lovell Cabbil had just evened the score at 52-52 after sinking a pair of clutch free throws. Freshman guard Isaiah Williams was subbed in, tasked with guarding Radford’s junior forward Ed Polite Jr, who led the team in scoring during the regular season and was a first-team All-Big South selection. Despite the pressure, Williams closely contested Polite’s isolation call and even forced him to commit a turnover with 50 seconds remaining in the game.
The Flames gathered the ball and advanced past half court, and opted to run the clock rather than go for a two-for-one opportunity. Liberty attempted to create space by setting a pair of screens, but ended up with Cabbil in isolation, guarded by Radford’s freshman guard Carlik Jones. Cabbil was unable to get a good look, and ended up shooting a deep 3 that bounced off the back of the rim. Both teams made desperate efforts at the rebound, but Radford ended up with possession and advanced the ball past half court and took a time out with 13 seconds remaining in the game.
The ball was inbounded to Jones, the Big South Freshman of the Year award winner, who was guarded closely by Cabbil. Jones dribbled to the right side of the court and cut back to the left wing with five seconds left, as a screen was set for him on the edge of the 3-point line. The screen created just enough space for Jones to shoot a 25-foot 3-pointer over Cabbil’s outstretched hand, with one second remaining on the clock.
Jones’ buzzer beater sank through the net as the buzzer signified the end of the game, sending the Highlanders to the Dance, and Liberty into disbelief. Radford celebrated their 55-52 victory by clearing the bench and swarming Jones on the other end of the court to cherish a moment that will be remembered for years to come. On the other side the Flames stood in frustration, as they were seconds away from capturing their first Big South Championship since 2013.
“Congratulations to Radford,” Flames basketball head coach Ritchie McKay said. “They’re a really good team, they’re well coached and they’ve got really good players. Hats off to them, they had a really big performance in what I thought was a great atmosphere. They’re a great representation of our conference.”
After the game, Cabbil reflected on the final play and acknowledged that the Flames guarded the shot to the best of their ability.
“Carlik hit a tough shot. He is a really good player so I just have to tip my hat off to them,” Cabbil said. “I thought I got a decent contest, but he just hit a big shot at a big moment.”
The Flames effort was led by sophomore forward Scottie James. James, who was a second-team All-Big South selection, recorded his ninth double-double of the season as he totaled 20 points and 13 rebounds.
The matchup between the top two scoring defenses in the Big South proved to be a slow-paced battle for every basket. The game went scoreless through the first two minutes of play until Jones finally broke the silence with a layup, as Radford took a 2-0 lead. Liberty responded with a 6-0 run that helped pick up the pace of the game as the Flames led 6-2.
Radford, at the start, shot 1 of 9 from the floor, but they found a rhythm a few minutes into the first period and went on an 8-0 run to take the lead back at 12-8, with 11 minutes left in the first half. The two contenders traded baskets over the next few minutes, until Radford gained some separation at 24-18 with three minutes to play in the half. The Flames responded with a 3-pointer from Cabbil, but the Highlanders were able to increase their lead back to five at 26-21 going into halftime.
Coming out of half, both defenses remained strong, but Liberty cut Radford’s lead to one at 30-29 four minutes into the second half thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers. Radford answered back with an 8-0 run, to re-establish their lead at 38-29, with 13 minutes left in the game.
But a 3-pointer from the Flames freshman guard Keegan McDowell shifted momentum back in the Flames favor, and sparked a 7-1 run for the Flames to bring the game back within 3 points at 39-36.
After trailing for the last 19 minutes of play, the Flames took the lead at 43-42 thanks to a pair of free throws from sophomore forward Myo Baxter-Bell, with just under eight minutes remaining in the game. Radford sank two free throws on their following possession to retake the lead at 44-43. The teams traded leads and eventually found themselves tied at 50, with two minutes remaining in the game.
Polite gave Radford the lead off a layup with just under two minutes to play, but Cabbil tied the game on the Flames following possession. Both teams failed to score on their following possessions, until Jones sunk the game-winning shot as time expired.
“They gave everything they had,” McKay said. “I couldn’t be any more proud of these young men. I know there had to be someone that didn’t win the game today, and unfortunately for us, it was us. Liberty wasn’t a loser today – we just didn’t win. Those guys down there are unbelievable. They’re incredible representatives of Liberty University, their families and our program. This won’t be the last time we have a chance to cut nets.”