Vanderbilt throttles Liberty in second round of WNIT
Liberty’s WNIT journey is over in the second round. The Lady Flames could not keep up with Vanderbilt, who eased away to a 71-45 victory.
After a string of misses to start the game, Liberty opened the scoring with Mya Berkman putting in a layup to put Liberty up 2-0.
The teams continued to struggle from the field. Vanderbilt’s first four points came from the free throw line. Liberty equalized with a layup from Bella Smuda, but the Commodores quickly responded.
In a span of 1:08, Vanderbilt scored 8 straight points. Iyana Moore nailed a three for Vanderbilt and she hit another one on the team’s next possession. Liberty lost the ball on the next possession, allowing Vanderbilt to score another two points.
Emma Hess ended Vanderbilt’s 8-0 run with a three-pointer of her own, before Dee Brown converted a free throw to close out the quarter – Liberty trailing 8-12.
Moore and Hess continued to duel from beyond the arc in the second quarter, with Moore hitting a three to start things off. Hess responded, but Moore responded again with another three-pointer.
Midway through the second, Bridgette Rettstatt hit a layup to finally end her shooting drought. Rettstatt, the usual offensive spark for Liberty, started 0-8.
The Lady Flames also struggled with fouls. Vanderbilt made its shots and went into halftime leading 31-22.
In the third quarter, fouls became an even bigger issue for Liberty. Rettstatt and Kennedi Williams both recorded their fourth fouls, sending them to the bench.
Shooting didn’t favor the Lady Flames either as Liberty went 3-16 from the field in the third quarter. In contrast, Vanderbilt went 6-12, allowing the Commodores to run away with the game. Following the third quarter, Liberty trailed 29-51.
The fourth quarter was better for the Lady Flames, as the team was finally able to shoot 40% from the field (6-15). It was already over at this point however, as Vanderbilt coasted to a 71-45 victory.
After the game, Liberty Head Coach Carey Green thanked his super seniors for their efforts.
“We had uniqueness of three super seniors, people that had decided to come back and invest in the program, and showed leadership, that being Nenna Lindström and Priscilla Smeenge and Bridgette Rettstatt,” Green said. “Those three showed character. They showed their love for the game and they showed their love for Liberty University, and set the tone for the entire team”
Statistically, Iyana Moore dominated for the Commodores. She finished 8-14 (7-11 from three), scoring 25 on the night. Sacha Washington also made her mark, scoring 17 while collecting 7 rebounds.
Liberty’s top scorer was Rettstatt, who finished her career with a double double (13 points, 10 rebounds). Her 1,227 career points is ninth best in program history.
The Lady Flames finish the season 28-5, tying a program record for wins in a season. Vanderbilt moves on to face Middle Tennessee in the 3rd round. Middle Tennessee beat Wake Forest 67-55 in its respective matchup.
Next season is Liberty’s final season in the ASUN, before the team moves to Conference USA for the 2023-2024 season.
Luke Randle is the Sports Editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow him on Twitter @lukerandle02