Flames Blaze Through Louisiana Tech in 80-53 Blowout

The Liberty University Women’s Basketball team cruised to an 80-53 win over Louisiana Tech University in the Conference USA (CUSA) semifinals March 14 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
The Lady Techsters entered Friday’s game with a two-game winning streak, including a monumental win over No. 4 seed New Mexico State University in the quarterfinals. However, Liberty’s defense and bench depth was once again an advantage that propelled the Lady Flames to victory.
“I think there’s some advantages to getting a high seed, you get a little extra rest,” Head Coach Carey Green said. “It was sort of evident with how the game started. We were tied, or we had a little lead. … For us, having a deep bench helped out a lot as the game progressed.”
The Lady Flames will return to the conference championship game for the third year in a row. Last year, Liberty fell to Middle Tennessee State University 67-51. This season, the Lady Flames are experiencing a resurgence in energy as they have fought for another opportunity to play in a conference title game.
“Well, I think it’s pretty obvious,” Green said. “You sat down at the table, and you are ready to eat, and they say, ‘Nope, you don’t get to eat, so you stay hungry.’ … I’ve been around long enough, and I can tell when a culture is special, and they (the Lady Flames) are special.”
The Lady Flames started the semifinal game in the driver’s seat, going on a 10-2 run to open things up in the first quarter. However, the Lady Techsters responded to make it a six-point game for Liberty by the end of the first quarter, 22-16.
Liberty’s defense began to spark in the second quarter, as they shut down LA Tech’s offense. The Lady Flames forced the Lady Techsters into difficult shot selections, holding them to just 10 points in the quarter and limiting them to six completed field goals. The Lady Flames went to the locker room at halftime holding a 37-26 lead.
“I think the whole game we were … sticking to our defense,” freshman guard Avery Mills said. “We didn’t really change anything; it was more just executing what … our gameplan was. They ended up just missing those shots, but we were there to contest them and grab the rebound and not let them get a second chance.”
The Lady Flames only had two players finish the evening with double digits in the point column. Sophomore forward Elisabeth Aegisdottir and Mills ended the game with 13 and 17 points respectively, for a total of 30. Aegisdottir also lead the team with seven rebounds and one assist during Friday’s competition.
Though a daunting task for a freshman in the semifinal game of a conference tournament, Mills said she relied on her teammates and coaches to help her be successful during the game.
“I just really owe (being comfortable in big moments) to … my teammates, my coaches,” Mills said. “They have so much confidence in all of us and in me, so I know when I go out there to just do the stuff that we practice. … Coach tells us, don’t let the outside distractions get in your head.”
After defeating the Lady Techsters, the Lady Flames will return to the final round of the CUSA championship for the second season in a row, seeking to take the title. Their next contest will be a rematch against MTSU on Saturday, March 15, at 5:30 p.m. EST on CBS Sports Network.
Clingman is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.