Women’s Basketball Defeats Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky In Series March 6 and 8

The Liberty University Women’s Basketball team defeated Middle Tennessee State University and Western Kentucky University in a home series March 6 and 8 ending in the Lady Flames earning the Conference USA (CUSA) regular season title.  

The Lady Flames dominated Thursday, going 61-42 in its first program win against the Middle Tennessee Lady Blue Raiders. Liberty took the lead early in the game and ran with it, setting the score 14-8 by the end of the first quarter. The Lady Flames’ strong defensive performance prevented the Lady Blue Raiders from reaching double digit points until the second period. 

Redshirt senior center Bella Smuda made a major impact moving into the second period, introducing the strong performance she showed the entire game. Thursday’s game marked Smuda’s 155th game as a Lady Flame, setting a program record for career games played. 

At halftime, the Lady Flames led the Lady Raiders 30-14. The Lady Flames took the court for the third quarter with relentless determination. 

Sophomore guard Asia Boone sank her second 3-pointer of the night near the beginning of the half and sent the crowd into cheers as Liberty built the lead against Middle Tennessee. Smuda put up six points during the third period, matching the six team points put up by the Lady Blue Raiders.  

Early in the fourth quarter, Smuda snatched three more baskets and senior guard Emma Hess sank three foul shots off a fouled 3-point attempt. Their contributions secured the Lady Flames a 33-point lead, the largest lead of the night. However, the Lady Blue Raiders refused to back down and responded with a 15-point charge, yet the Lady Flames beat back the charge and secured the win. 

“Games like this just show us, and show everyone, that we’re hungry and that we want to go out there and win,” Smuda said. 

At the final buzzer, the Lady Flames had conquered the Lady Blue Raiders in a 61-42 victory. 

“We’re going to enjoy this one,” Head Coach Carey Green said. “… Looking forward, we want to get the highest seed we possibly can.” 

Fresh from their Thursday win, the Lady Flames took home court for their regular season finale against the Western Kentucky Lady Hilltoppers March 8.  

Each team hit the court fighting, racking up points early in the first quarter. Lady Hilltopper junior guard Josie Gilvin scored the first points of the night, draining a trifecta. Hess responded with a two-point jumper for Liberty. The Lady Flames and Lady Hilltoppers continued to trade baskets in the opening minutes, but as the period continued, WKU pulled ahead. Gilvin dominated the quarter with 14 of WKU’s 26 points to Liberty’s 14 team points. 

The Lady Flames rallied with a handful of buckets early in the second quarter. However, WKU continued to build a lead, securing and maintaining a double-digit advantage over the Lady Flames throughout the middle of the second quarter. Hess dropped two 3-pointers as the game approached halftime and Boone dropped another, bringing the score to 39-32 at the half with the Lady Hilltoppers clinging to the lead. 

Both teams came out shooting early in the third quarter, but Liberty began to close in on the Lady Hilltoppers. Sophomore forward Elisabeth Aegisdottir put up a shot near the five-minute mark, and the Lady Flames took the lead for the first time in the game.  

The Lady Hilltoppers and the Lady Flames battled for the lead through the middle of the period. With 2:30 left to go, the Lady Hilltoppers had reclaimed the lead, but the Lady Flames took it back with a series of free throws, sparking Liberty’s final charge for the win. Freshman guard Avery Mills advanced the Lady Flames’ lead with two crucial 3-pointers in the final 90 seconds of the period, bringing the score up to 60-53 at the end of the third. 

The Lady Flames carried their lead into the fourth quarter, but the Lady Hilltoppers stayed close on their heels. Mills sunk another three, sending the crowd and bench into cheers. Mills’ shot secured the Lady Flames a double-digit lead over the Lady Hilltoppers for the first time in the game. Gilvin led a return charge for the Lady Hilltoppers, sinking 8 points for her team. Gilvin made a major layup with only 20 seconds left in the game, tightening the score to a two-point difference, 72-70. 

With 3.5 seconds left in the game, Hess drew a foul and went to the line to secure the Lady Flames’ win. She hit both free throws, sending the atmosphere in the arena into a roar of excitement and setting the final score 74-70. 

With the victory over WKU, the Lady Flames have secured a share of the CUSA title and the No. 1 seed going into the conference tournament. 

“It’s a great win for us, and we’re grateful for it,” Green said. 

The Lady Flames ended the game Saturday lifting the CUSA trophy into the air, celebrating its first CUSA regular season title. The Lady Flames progress as the No. 1 seed for the CUSA Women’s Basketball Championship in Huntsville, Alabama, where they look to take the championship title next. 

“Every team’s fighting for their season. It’s win or go home,” Mills said. “We’re ready for that.” 

Gamble is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.