WBB Game Day Central: Gardner-Webb
2/6/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Complete Game Notes (PDF format)
Live Video Streaming (Big South Network)
Live WWMC Radio Broadcast
Live Stats
Home Game Information
Gardner-Webb Women's Basketball Webpage
The Game
Liberty (17-4, 7-1 Big South) will host Gardner-Webb (18-3, 7-1 Big South) Monday at 7 p.m., in a battle between the Big South Conference's two co-leaders. The Lady Flames will attempt to avenge their lone Big South setback, a 70-65 defeat at Gardner-Webb on Jan. 2. Liberty has won a season-high 10 straight games since that contest.
Last Time Out
Avery Warley's double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds) and Danika Dale's 15 points helped Liberty win its final non-conference game of the year, a 64-44 victory over North Carolina Central, Thursday evening at the Vines Center.
On Deck
Liberty will play only one game during the next 11 days, a Feb. 15 road contest at Winthrop. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m., as the Lady Flames attempt to complete a season sweep of the Eagles. Liberty defeated Winthrop, 67-38, Jan. 9 at the Vines Center.
Lady Flames On The Air
All Lady Flames basketball games may be heard LIVE on WWMC 90.9 FM "The Light." Jamie Hall, in the midst of his 16th year of broadcasting Lady Flames basketball, is once again handling the courtside play-by-play duties for road games. Nick Pierce and Josh Wood serve as the primary commentators for home contests.
Lady Flames On TV
All 15 of Liberty's home women's basketball games will be televised in 2009-10, including 14 on the Flames Sports Network (FSN) and one on SportSouth/MASN. Monday's announcing team features Matt Hogue on play-by-play and Debbie Leonard on color. The game will be televised live on SportSouth and tape-delayed for a midnight start on MASN.
Scouting Gardner-Webb
Gardner-Webb is in the midst of its best season at the NCAA Division I level. The Bulldogs have already set a program Division I record with 18 wins and have garnered votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 poll throughout the year. Arguably Gardner-Webb's most impressive win of the year was a 56-55 triumph at Purdue on Dec. 21.
Like Liberty, the Bulldogs play strong defense. They rank No. 5 nationally in field goal percentage defense (.338) and No. 21 in scoring defense (55.4 ppg). Gardner-Webb also shoots three-pointers very well, boasting the eighth-best three-point field goal percentage (.390) in the nation.
The Bulldogs, who lead the Big South in scoring at 69.4 ppg have four players averaging double figures on the season, led by 6-0 senior forward Margaret Roundtree's 11.6 ppg. Courtney Epps, a 5-9 junior guard, chips in 11.1 ppg. Twin sisters Monique (10.9 ppg) and Dominique (10.7) Hudson, both 5-5 junior guards, round out Gardner-Webb's top scorers.
Roundtree shares the team rebounding lead with Sandra Vaitkute, a 6-6 redshirt junior center from Lithuania. Both players are pulling down 6.3 rebounds per contest.
The Coaching Matchup
Liberty Head Coach Carey Green is in his 11th season with the Lady Flames, and has led his team to nine Big South titles. A five-time Big South Coach of the Year, Green owns a 254-81 career record and is the all-time wins leader at Liberty and among Big South women's basketball coaches. His career winning percentage (.758) ranked ninth all-time among NCAA Division I women's basketball coaches at the season's outset. Green is 3-1 against Gardner-Webb.
Gardner-Webb is coached by Rick Reeves, who is 352-325 in his 20th season as a collegiate head coach and 79-87 in six years with the Bulldogs. He served as Liberty's head coach from 1990-91 through 1998-99, leading the Lady Flames to a trio of Big South titles. Reeves is 1-3 coaching against Liberty.
Liberty-Gardner-Webb Series Notes
Monday's game is the fifth all-time meeting between Liberty and Gardner-Webb, with the Lady Flames owning a 3-1 advantage in the head-to-head series. The Bulldogs won the teams' first meeting this season and have a chance to become just the second Big South team to sweep the regular-season series from Liberty in the last 13 seasons (High Point in 2006-07).
Liberty was 3-0 versus the Bulldogs last season, including a 55-42 home win on Jan. 3, 2009 in Gardner-Webb's first-ever Big South contest. The Lady Flames also snapped the Bulldogs' nine-game winning streak with a 58-51 decision, Feb. 9, 2009 at Paul Porter Arena. Finally, Liberty withstood a last-second shot attempt to claim a 51-50 victory over Gardner-Webb in the 2009 Big South Championship title game, March 15, 2009 at High Point's Millis Center.
The Bulldogs led from start to finish in a 70-65 triumph over Liberty, Jan. 2 at Paul Porter Arena. Margaret Roundtree scored a game-high 15 points for Gardner-Webb. Liberty's Jelena Antic, Danika Dale, Amber Mays and Avery Warley tallied 10 points apiece.
Liberty Versus the Big South Conference
Liberty has enjoyed a considerable amount of success versus Big South Conference opposition, since joining the league for the 1991-92 season. The Lady Flames have won the conference tournament 12 times and captured 11 regular-season championships.
Liberty is 234-68 (.775) all-time against Big South opponents, including 198-62 in regular-season matchups and 36-6 in Big South Championship tilts. During Carey Green's tenure as head coach, the Lady Flames are 161-15 (.915) when facing Big South foes.
Taking on the Tar Heel State
The Lady Flames' game against Gardner-Webb will mark their eighth contest versus a Tar Heel State opponent this season. Liberty is 6-1 versus North Carolina squads thus far, posting wins over Winston-Salem State, UNC Greensboro, North Carolina A&T, UNC Asheville, High Point and North Carolina Central. Gardner-Webb is the only North Carolina team which has defeated the Lady Flames in 2009-10.
After Monday, Liberty has two more Tar Heel State tilts remaining on the schedule, including its second matchups of the year against UNC Asheville (Feb. 27) and High Point (March 8).
Fabulous in February
Liberty has won 93 of its last 98 games played during the month of February, dating back to the 1997 Big South Championship. The only teams to defeat the Lady Flames in February since then are High Point (three times), UNC Asheville and Winthrop.
The Lady Flames own a 174-121 all-time mark during the year's second month, including a 74-5 record under Carey Green. Liberty, which went 6-0 in February a season ago and is 2-0 this February, has seven games scheduled this month.
A Whole Lot of Winning Streaks
The Lady Flames have won a season-high 10 consecutive games, which marks their second winning streak of at least five games so far this season.
Liberty has now enjoyed 18 winning streaks of at least five games during Carey Green's 11 seasons as head coach, including nine double-digit winning streaks.
Among the Nation's Best
Through games played on Friday, Liberty's 10-game winning streak is tied with Eastern Illinois for the eighth-longest active winning streak in the nation. Meanwhile, Gardner-Webb's six-game winning streak is tied for 19th on the same list.
Keys to Success
Liberty has won its last 10 games, by an average of 22.9 points per contest. Here are a few notable statistics from the winning streak.
-- The Lady Flames have won the rebounding battle in all 10 games, by an average of 19.0 boards per game.
-- Devon Brown has scored in double figures in all 10 games of the streak.
-- Avery Warley has boosted her production to 11.7 ppg and 9.1 rpg during the winning streak.
-- Liberty has been able to win both at home (6-0) and on the road (4-0).
-- The Lady Flames have been strong in the second half, outscoring their last 10 opponents by an average margin of 36.2 to 23.6 and outrebounding their foes, 22.9 to 10.6.
Here's Another Streak
Liberty has outrebounded 11 straight opponents by at least 10 rebounds, a streak which started Jan. 2 at Gardner-Webb. During the span, the Lady Flames are winning the rebounding battle by an average of 19.0 boards per contest, 42.5 to 23.5.
First-Half Defense
Points have come at a premium for Liberty's opponents during the first half this season. The Lady Flames limited Radford to 15 first-half markers on Feb. 1, the seventh time Liberty has held its opponent under 20 points in the opening period. The Lady Flames have gone on to win all seven contests.
Only three of Liberty's first 21 opponents have managed to score 30 points during the opening 20 minutes of play. The Lady Flames are yielding an average of just 23.2 points in the first half of games in 2009-10.
Big Wins, Tight Losses
The Lady Flames' 17 victories this season have come by an average of 24.8 points. Liberty's tightest win was a 57-51 home victory over North Carolina A&T on Jan. 5.
Meanwhile, Liberty has lost its four games by a total of 30 points. James Madison posted the widest margin of victory over the Lady Flames, defeating Liberty 60-50, Dec. 1 at the Vines Center.
As a result, the Lady Flames rank No. 10 nationally, with a +18.6 scoring margin.
The Container is Half Full
This season, the Lady Flames are 9-0, when shooting 50 percent or higher from the field. Liberty is now 68-0 under head coach Carey Green, when the Lady Flames sink at least half of their field goals.
Painting a Masterpiece
Last season, Liberty regularly controlled the area around the basket, outscoring 29 of 33 opponents in the "points in the paint" statistical category.
This year, the Lady Flames are off to an outstanding start in racking up "points in the paint" once again. Liberty has outscored all 21 opponents inside the paint in 2009-10, by an average margin of 24.6 points (39.7 to 15.1).
10 x 10 for No. 40
Redshirt freshman Devon Brown scored 10 points during Thursday's win over North Carolina Central, putting her in double figures for the 10th straight game. Gardner-Webb was the last opponent to hold the Big South's leading scorer under 10 points, limiting Brown to nine tallies on Jan. 2.
2009 graduate Megan Frazee set the school record by scoring in double figures 68 straight times (Jan. 27, 2007 through March 15, 2009).
Turning Up the Heat in the Furnace
The 2009-10 campaign is the 18th season the Liberty women's basketball team has called the Vines Center its full-time home. The "Furnace" has served as a favorable venue for the Lady Flames over the years. Liberty is 197-52 (.791) all-time at the Vines Center, including 10-2 last season.
The Lady Flames are 9-1 to start this year's 15-game home schedule and are 105-10 in their last 115 home games, dating back to the 2001-02 season.
National Statistical Rankings
Through the contests of Feb. 4, the Lady Flames were ranked among the NCAA's top 20 teams in seven statistical categories. At that juncture, Liberty sat No. 1 in rebound margin (+15.7), No. 2 in scoring defense (48.5 ppg), No. 3 in field goal percentage (.482), No. 4 in field goal percentage defense (.334), No. 8 in three-point field goal percentage defense (.258), No. 10 in scoring margin (+18.6) and No. 15 in steals per game (11.4 spg).
Live Video Streaming (Big South Network)
Live WWMC Radio Broadcast
Live Stats
Home Game Information
Gardner-Webb Women's Basketball Webpage
The Game
Liberty (17-4, 7-1 Big South) will host Gardner-Webb (18-3, 7-1 Big South) Monday at 7 p.m., in a battle between the Big South Conference's two co-leaders. The Lady Flames will attempt to avenge their lone Big South setback, a 70-65 defeat at Gardner-Webb on Jan. 2. Liberty has won a season-high 10 straight games since that contest.
Last Time Out
Avery Warley's double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds) and Danika Dale's 15 points helped Liberty win its final non-conference game of the year, a 64-44 victory over North Carolina Central, Thursday evening at the Vines Center.
On Deck
Liberty will play only one game during the next 11 days, a Feb. 15 road contest at Winthrop. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m., as the Lady Flames attempt to complete a season sweep of the Eagles. Liberty defeated Winthrop, 67-38, Jan. 9 at the Vines Center.
Lady Flames On The Air
All Lady Flames basketball games may be heard LIVE on WWMC 90.9 FM "The Light." Jamie Hall, in the midst of his 16th year of broadcasting Lady Flames basketball, is once again handling the courtside play-by-play duties for road games. Nick Pierce and Josh Wood serve as the primary commentators for home contests.
Lady Flames On TV
All 15 of Liberty's home women's basketball games will be televised in 2009-10, including 14 on the Flames Sports Network (FSN) and one on SportSouth/MASN. Monday's announcing team features Matt Hogue on play-by-play and Debbie Leonard on color. The game will be televised live on SportSouth and tape-delayed for a midnight start on MASN.
Scouting Gardner-Webb
Gardner-Webb is in the midst of its best season at the NCAA Division I level. The Bulldogs have already set a program Division I record with 18 wins and have garnered votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 poll throughout the year. Arguably Gardner-Webb's most impressive win of the year was a 56-55 triumph at Purdue on Dec. 21.
Like Liberty, the Bulldogs play strong defense. They rank No. 5 nationally in field goal percentage defense (.338) and No. 21 in scoring defense (55.4 ppg). Gardner-Webb also shoots three-pointers very well, boasting the eighth-best three-point field goal percentage (.390) in the nation.
The Bulldogs, who lead the Big South in scoring at 69.4 ppg have four players averaging double figures on the season, led by 6-0 senior forward Margaret Roundtree's 11.6 ppg. Courtney Epps, a 5-9 junior guard, chips in 11.1 ppg. Twin sisters Monique (10.9 ppg) and Dominique (10.7) Hudson, both 5-5 junior guards, round out Gardner-Webb's top scorers.
Roundtree shares the team rebounding lead with Sandra Vaitkute, a 6-6 redshirt junior center from Lithuania. Both players are pulling down 6.3 rebounds per contest.
The Coaching Matchup
Liberty Head Coach Carey Green is in his 11th season with the Lady Flames, and has led his team to nine Big South titles. A five-time Big South Coach of the Year, Green owns a 254-81 career record and is the all-time wins leader at Liberty and among Big South women's basketball coaches. His career winning percentage (.758) ranked ninth all-time among NCAA Division I women's basketball coaches at the season's outset. Green is 3-1 against Gardner-Webb.
Gardner-Webb is coached by Rick Reeves, who is 352-325 in his 20th season as a collegiate head coach and 79-87 in six years with the Bulldogs. He served as Liberty's head coach from 1990-91 through 1998-99, leading the Lady Flames to a trio of Big South titles. Reeves is 1-3 coaching against Liberty.
Liberty-Gardner-Webb Series Notes
Monday's game is the fifth all-time meeting between Liberty and Gardner-Webb, with the Lady Flames owning a 3-1 advantage in the head-to-head series. The Bulldogs won the teams' first meeting this season and have a chance to become just the second Big South team to sweep the regular-season series from Liberty in the last 13 seasons (High Point in 2006-07).
Liberty was 3-0 versus the Bulldogs last season, including a 55-42 home win on Jan. 3, 2009 in Gardner-Webb's first-ever Big South contest. The Lady Flames also snapped the Bulldogs' nine-game winning streak with a 58-51 decision, Feb. 9, 2009 at Paul Porter Arena. Finally, Liberty withstood a last-second shot attempt to claim a 51-50 victory over Gardner-Webb in the 2009 Big South Championship title game, March 15, 2009 at High Point's Millis Center.
The Bulldogs led from start to finish in a 70-65 triumph over Liberty, Jan. 2 at Paul Porter Arena. Margaret Roundtree scored a game-high 15 points for Gardner-Webb. Liberty's Jelena Antic, Danika Dale, Amber Mays and Avery Warley tallied 10 points apiece.
Liberty Versus the Big South Conference
Liberty has enjoyed a considerable amount of success versus Big South Conference opposition, since joining the league for the 1991-92 season. The Lady Flames have won the conference tournament 12 times and captured 11 regular-season championships.
Liberty is 234-68 (.775) all-time against Big South opponents, including 198-62 in regular-season matchups and 36-6 in Big South Championship tilts. During Carey Green's tenure as head coach, the Lady Flames are 161-15 (.915) when facing Big South foes.
Taking on the Tar Heel State
The Lady Flames' game against Gardner-Webb will mark their eighth contest versus a Tar Heel State opponent this season. Liberty is 6-1 versus North Carolina squads thus far, posting wins over Winston-Salem State, UNC Greensboro, North Carolina A&T, UNC Asheville, High Point and North Carolina Central. Gardner-Webb is the only North Carolina team which has defeated the Lady Flames in 2009-10.
After Monday, Liberty has two more Tar Heel State tilts remaining on the schedule, including its second matchups of the year against UNC Asheville (Feb. 27) and High Point (March 8).
Fabulous in February
Liberty has won 93 of its last 98 games played during the month of February, dating back to the 1997 Big South Championship. The only teams to defeat the Lady Flames in February since then are High Point (three times), UNC Asheville and Winthrop.
The Lady Flames own a 174-121 all-time mark during the year's second month, including a 74-5 record under Carey Green. Liberty, which went 6-0 in February a season ago and is 2-0 this February, has seven games scheduled this month.
A Whole Lot of Winning Streaks
The Lady Flames have won a season-high 10 consecutive games, which marks their second winning streak of at least five games so far this season.
Liberty has now enjoyed 18 winning streaks of at least five games during Carey Green's 11 seasons as head coach, including nine double-digit winning streaks.
Among the Nation's Best
Through games played on Friday, Liberty's 10-game winning streak is tied with Eastern Illinois for the eighth-longest active winning streak in the nation. Meanwhile, Gardner-Webb's six-game winning streak is tied for 19th on the same list.
Keys to Success
Liberty has won its last 10 games, by an average of 22.9 points per contest. Here are a few notable statistics from the winning streak.
-- The Lady Flames have won the rebounding battle in all 10 games, by an average of 19.0 boards per game.
-- Devon Brown has scored in double figures in all 10 games of the streak.
-- Avery Warley has boosted her production to 11.7 ppg and 9.1 rpg during the winning streak.
-- Liberty has been able to win both at home (6-0) and on the road (4-0).
-- The Lady Flames have been strong in the second half, outscoring their last 10 opponents by an average margin of 36.2 to 23.6 and outrebounding their foes, 22.9 to 10.6.
Here's Another Streak
Liberty has outrebounded 11 straight opponents by at least 10 rebounds, a streak which started Jan. 2 at Gardner-Webb. During the span, the Lady Flames are winning the rebounding battle by an average of 19.0 boards per contest, 42.5 to 23.5.
First-Half Defense
Points have come at a premium for Liberty's opponents during the first half this season. The Lady Flames limited Radford to 15 first-half markers on Feb. 1, the seventh time Liberty has held its opponent under 20 points in the opening period. The Lady Flames have gone on to win all seven contests.
Only three of Liberty's first 21 opponents have managed to score 30 points during the opening 20 minutes of play. The Lady Flames are yielding an average of just 23.2 points in the first half of games in 2009-10.
Big Wins, Tight Losses
The Lady Flames' 17 victories this season have come by an average of 24.8 points. Liberty's tightest win was a 57-51 home victory over North Carolina A&T on Jan. 5.
Meanwhile, Liberty has lost its four games by a total of 30 points. James Madison posted the widest margin of victory over the Lady Flames, defeating Liberty 60-50, Dec. 1 at the Vines Center.
As a result, the Lady Flames rank No. 10 nationally, with a +18.6 scoring margin.
The Container is Half Full
This season, the Lady Flames are 9-0, when shooting 50 percent or higher from the field. Liberty is now 68-0 under head coach Carey Green, when the Lady Flames sink at least half of their field goals.
Painting a Masterpiece
Last season, Liberty regularly controlled the area around the basket, outscoring 29 of 33 opponents in the "points in the paint" statistical category.
This year, the Lady Flames are off to an outstanding start in racking up "points in the paint" once again. Liberty has outscored all 21 opponents inside the paint in 2009-10, by an average margin of 24.6 points (39.7 to 15.1).
10 x 10 for No. 40
Redshirt freshman Devon Brown scored 10 points during Thursday's win over North Carolina Central, putting her in double figures for the 10th straight game. Gardner-Webb was the last opponent to hold the Big South's leading scorer under 10 points, limiting Brown to nine tallies on Jan. 2.
2009 graduate Megan Frazee set the school record by scoring in double figures 68 straight times (Jan. 27, 2007 through March 15, 2009).
Turning Up the Heat in the Furnace
The 2009-10 campaign is the 18th season the Liberty women's basketball team has called the Vines Center its full-time home. The "Furnace" has served as a favorable venue for the Lady Flames over the years. Liberty is 197-52 (.791) all-time at the Vines Center, including 10-2 last season.
The Lady Flames are 9-1 to start this year's 15-game home schedule and are 105-10 in their last 115 home games, dating back to the 2001-02 season.
National Statistical Rankings
Through the contests of Feb. 4, the Lady Flames were ranked among the NCAA's top 20 teams in seven statistical categories. At that juncture, Liberty sat No. 1 in rebound margin (+15.7), No. 2 in scoring defense (48.5 ppg), No. 3 in field goal percentage (.482), No. 4 in field goal percentage defense (.334), No. 8 in three-point field goal percentage defense (.258), No. 10 in scoring margin (+18.6) and No. 15 in steals per game (11.4 spg).
Saturday, March 14
Friday, March 13
Thursday, March 12
Tuesday, March 10