Lady Flames Basketball Crushes Belmont Abbey in Opener
Two words can sum up the Liberty women’s basketball team’s victory against Belmont Abbey — complete domination. The Lady Flames controlled both ends of the court Nov. 9, leading to a 89-40 victory.
The game marked the first time the Lady Flames played in Liberty Arena without capacity restrictions, and the team gave the fans something to cheer about. Right from the opening tip, Liberty put on the pressure by going on a 15-2 run, which started with a put-back layup by redshirt junior center Mya Berkman. The team dominated on the boards and offensive rebounds.
“I love it — defensively, offensively. It’s a great start and confidence booster to our team, and I don’t think you can get a better start,” Head Coach Carey Green said regarding the first quarter. “We shot the ball really well. I’ll take 60% from the field and from 3-point range.”
Liberty ended the quarter with a 3-point buzzer beater to extend the lead to 31-4. The Lady Flames’ domination would continue in the second quarter and hit its peak on a pair of 3-pointers from forward redshirt senior Bridgette Rettstatt. Belmont would close the quarter strong, however, and bring the score to 47-16.
“This was a really good icebreaker to start the season and build some confidence,” Rettstatt said.
The domination continued throughout the second half as Belmont could not get anything going against the Lady Flames. Liberty stormed out to a 71-31 lead at the end of the third before finishing the game with a 89-40 win. The game provided an opportunity for bench players to receive playing time and show what they can do on the court.
One of the players that made her mark off the bench was freshman Emma Hess. She finished with 11 points, three rebounds and an assist. The freshman also shot very well from the 3-point line, finishing with three makes on five attempts. A total of 15 players saw the court for the Lady Flames, and 13 contributed their first points of the season.
“It was so exciting because you see how hard they are working each day, putting in so much time, so to see them get some time and enjoy playing basketball was awesome,” Rettstatt said. “I couldn’t be happier for them. I want them all to score.”
The game also marked the return to the court for redshirt sophomore forward Jordan Bailey after not playing a game since 2019. Bailey last appeared in a game when she was a student for Old Dominion for one semester before transferring to Emmanuel the next. She then would have to sit out a season due to the NCAA transfer regulations when she arrived at Liberty.
“It was kind of like an icebreaker for me. I was a little bit nervous. It’s almost like you forget how to play sometimes in that environment,” Bailey said. “I was just excited to be out there with my teammates. They have been a rock for me during the past year.”
Bailey would make her presence felt off the bench, especially in the first half. She finished with nine points and three rebounds, and her nine points were the second highest from a player coming off the bench.
The Lady Flames continued their winning streak Nov. 13, notching a 66-63 win against the Ohio Bobcats. The team withstood a late comeback attempt by the Bobcats after leading by ten to start the fourth quarter.
The two wins to start the season bring the Lady Flames to 2-0 for the first time since the 2015-16 season. The wins also extend the team’s home winning streak to 19 games.
Liberty returns on its home court to face James Madison University Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.
Harper is a sports reporter. Follow him on Twitter.