Women’s basketball earns fourth consecutive conference win, 87-68

The Liberty women’s basketball team secured its fourth consecutive win Feb. 3, fending off the UTEP Miners in a Saturday afternoon conference contest. The Lady Flames controlled the game from start to finish, never losing the lead and sending the Miners home with an 87-68 victory in front of the home crowd, their 50th win in Liberty Arena. 

“I think it was a fun day,” redshirt junior center Bella Smuda said. “We were all just out there having fun, and I think that’s the key, to not overthink it. … The more you think about it, sometimes the harder it can be. I’m just really proud of how we’re all starting to come together and connect.”

The Lady Flames got to work on the perimeter instantly in the first quarter, hitting three triples in the game’s opening three minutes. Three of those were tallied by freshman guard Asia Boone, who finished the day with a career-high 19 points and six 3-pointers.

“I think that they were very conscious of trying to shut down (Smuda) and really taking the inside game away from us,” Liberty Head Coach Carey Green said. “And we took advantage of that. Asia Boone lit them up, and we shut down really well early. … Asia, she was just knocking down threes. I think they gave her too much space.”

In the paint, the matchup between Smuda and UTEP’s elite forward Jane Asinde was one that kept the crowd entertained. Asinde led the Miners on the day with 25 points, but Smuda managed to keep the Uganda native contained in the second half, where she put up just 10.

“(Asinde is) quick,” Smuda said. “She’s a really good post player and she rebounds
really well, so I respect her as a player for sure.”

Smuda, however, did more than just contain UTEP’s primary offensive weapon — she had a career day of her own, recording 27 points and seven rebounds. The center’s aggressive play got her to the free throw line five times, in which she went 7-for-10 on the day.

Where the Lady Flames shined most, however, was assists. The team was dropping dimes through all four quarters, ending the game with a figure of 24 in that category. 

“Jordan Hodges played very well from point guard,” Green said. “She had 10 of those 24 assists, and that’s the first time in about 11 years we’ve had someone at 10, and we’re in double figures in assists. She had what are called big eyes; she’s seeing everything and making the correct passes.”

After controlling the game through four quarters, the Lady Flames celebrated their 87-68 victory, the last at home before a two-game stint on the road. The first of the two contests will come against the CUSA leader, Middle Tennessee, who stands undefeated in conference play.

“We need to focus on rebounding going into Middle Tennessee,” Green said. “It was really challenging today; they had probably the leading rebounder in the conference on their team, and we didn’t quite slow her down, so we’ve got to be aware of those things.”

The matchup with the CUSA’s best couldn’t come at a better time for the Lady Flames, who have improved to 5-3 in conference play after early struggles. They rank third in the conference standings behind FIU and Middle Tennessee, hoping to gain ground in the final stretch of the season.

“I think we’re peaking at the right time,” Smuda said. “Especially going into playing Middle Tennessee, who is one of the top dogs of the conference. I think having these few wins the last month or so has really helped us going on to the road, and I think (they) will be very beneficial.”

Liberty will tip off with Middle Tennessee Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, with the broadcast streaming on ESPN+. 

Cory is the sports editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on X