Liberty Reclaims Big South Sasser Cup Lead
3/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | General
2010-11 Big South Sasser Cup Standings (through the winter season)
Following a successful winter session where all four of Liberty's athletics programs finished first or second in their respective standings, Liberty has gained the lead in the chase for the 2010-11 Big South Sasser Cup.
In February, Liberty swept the Big South indoor track championships in Clemson, S.C., for the second-consecutive season. The men's basketball team set a new program record with 13 Big South wins and finished second in the regular-season standings.
Women's basketball captured its 12th Big South regular-season title in the last 14 seasons and advanced to the Big South Women's Basketball Championship title game for the 14th time in the last 15 seasons. The Lady Flames also advanced to the Postseason WNIT for the first time in program history.
After trailing High Point by nearly two points (1.88) in the 2010-11 Sasser Cup stadnings following the fall season, Liberty now leads the Panthers by 1.59 points in the weighted average rankings.
The Flames have scored 124.5 points this athletics season for a 12.45 average (10 sports), while High Point has tallied 97.75 points for a 10.86 average (nine sports). Liberty holds a 2.23 weighted-average lead over Coastal Carolina, who has scored 92.0 points for a 10.22 average (nine sports).
Originally known as the Commissioner's Cup, the Big South Sasser Cup was renamed in 2000 to honor the retiring George F. "Buddy" Sasser, who served as the conference commissioner from 1989 to 1996, and as the Director of Athletics at Coastal Carolina from 1986-89 and 1996-00.
Liberty and Coastal Carolina have combined to capture 17 of the Big South's 25 Sasser Cup titles. The Chanticleers lead the Flames by one, nine to eight, in the total accolade count. The Flames have won the last three Sasser Cup titles and eight of the last 13.
As always, this year's Sasser Cup chase will be solidified by the program with the stronger finish during the spring season. The Big South sponsors eight total championships during the spring (men's and women's outdoor track, men's and women's golf, men's and women's tennis, softball and baseball).
Liberty's current 2.23 margin over Coastal Carolina is its largest in the past three seasons. Last year, the Flames held a 1.31 weighted-average edge over the Chanticleers (12.79-11.47), while Liberty had a slim 0.73 average advantage over Coastal Carolina in the chase for the 2008-09 Big South Sasser Cup title (11.65-10.92).
Liberty also leads in the standings for the 2010-11 Women's All-Sports trophy with a 2.80 weighted average edge over High Point (13.90-11.10). Coastal Carolina leads the Flames by 0.63 points in the Men's All-Sports race.
Points are awarded for both regular-season and tournament finishes in each of the league's 18 championships, based on the number of teams participating in the regular-season and tournament, respectively. A school must be eligible to participate in a specific sport championship to receive Sasser Cup points in that sport.
There is a weighted factor of 1.5 for those sports that only participate in regular-season play (football) or a tournament (cross country, track, golf), but not both. Teams tied in regular-season or tournament play split the points earned. Each member's point totals are then divided by the number of sports sponsored by that school to determine the average.
2010-11 Sasser Cup Standings
(through the winter season)
1. Liberty - 12.45
2. High Point - 10.86
3. Coastal Carolina - 10.22
4. VMI - 8.16
5. Winthrop - 7.53
6. Gardner-Webb - 6.98
7. UNC Asheville - 6.89
8. Charleston Southern - 6.81
9. Radford - 6.56
10. Presbyterian College - 2.54
2010-11 Women's All-Sports Award Standings
1. Liberty - 13.90
2. High Point - 11.10
3. Coastal Carolina - 9.10
4. Gardner-Webb - 8.70
5. Winthrop - 7.90
6. Charleston Southern - 7.80
7. VMI - 6.83
8. UNC Asheville - 6.80
9. Radford - 6.50
10. Presbyterian College - 2.83
2010-11 Men's All-Sports Award Standings
1. Coastal Carolina - 11.63
2. Liberty - 11.00
3. High Point - 10.56
4. VMI - 8.95
5. Winthrop - 7.06
6. UNC Asheville - 7.00
7. Radford - 6.83
8. Charleston Southern - 5.56
9. Gardner-Webb - 5.25
10. Presbyterian College - 2.25
