WBB Game Day Central: Elon
11/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Game Day Central Page
Liberty's Women's Basketball Game Notes
Game Time:
7 p.m.
Official Tipoff:
7:05 p.m.
TV Coverage:
Liberty Flames Sports Network – TV
ESPN3
Big South Network
Play-By-Play Broadcaster: Mike Tilley
Color Commentator: Kelley Deyo
Sideline Reporter: Monika McKenzie
Radio Coverage:
Liberty Flames Sports Network – Radio
WQLU 90.9 FM The Light
Play-By-Play Broadcaster: Jamie Hall
Today's Game
The Liberty women's basketball team will play its 2015-16 home opener Monday at 7 p.m., when the Lady Flames welcome Elon to the Vines Center. The two teams combined for 45 wins last season and are each 1-0 to begin the 2015-16 campaign.
The "Starting Five" - Liberty's Top Storylines
1) Liberty enters the 2015-16 season riding a 12-game home winning streak. However, the Lady Flames are looking to win their home opener for the first time since an 81-50 victory over Grambling State on Nov. 16, 2012.
2) The Lady Flames will look to avenge a 73-62 setback at Elon last season (Nov. 25, 2014). Liberty is 11-4 all-time against its former Big South rival, including 5-1 at home. Elon's lone win at the Vines Center was a 77-72 triumph on Jan. 13, 2000, in Carey Green's first Big South game as the Lady Flames' head coach.
3) After a 74-68 season-opening victory at Appalachian State on Friday, Liberty is seeking its first 2-0 start since the 2009-10 Lady Flames opened the year at 5-0.
4) Liberty will play back-to-back Monday contests against upper-echelon CAA opponents. Elon was picked fourth in the CAA preseason poll, while the Lady Flames' Nov. 23 opponent, James Madison, is the CAA preseason favorite.
5) Big South Preseason Player of the Year Ashley Rininger began her senior season with her 34th career double-double, a 23-point, 11-rebound effort at Appalachian State. Rininger, who has now posted five straight double-doubles dating back to last season, tallied 10 points and five rebounds during the fourth quarter. She finished with a double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds) at Elon in last season's meeting.
Liberty vs. Elon At a Glance
Series History
Series Record: Liberty leads, 11-4.
Current Streak: Elon won the most recent meeting.
Series Record at Liberty: Liberty leads, 5-1.
Current Streak at Liberty: Liberty has won three straight meetings.
Last Meeting Overall: Elon 73, Liberty 62 (Nov. 25, 2014 at Elon)
Last Meeting at Liberty: Liberty 66, Elon 44 (Jan, 28, 2003)
Liberty's Last Series Victory: Liberty 74, Elon 66 (Feb. 22, 2003 at Elon)
Elon's Last Series Victory at Liberty: Elon 77, Liberty 72 (Jan. 13, 2000)
Coaching Matchup
Liberty Head Coach: Carey Green
Overall Record (Seasons): 384-128 (17th Season)
Record at Liberty (Seasons): Same
Record vs. Elon: 7-4
Elon Head Coach: Charlotte Smith
Overall Record (Seasons): 70-57 (Fifth Season)
Record at Elon (Seasons): Same
Record vs. Liberty: 1-0
Notes and Anecdotes
• Elon won its 2015-16 season opener by a 67-29 count over Lenoir-Rhyne, Saturday afternoon in Elon. Sophomore guard Shay Burnett, a preseason All-CAA second team selection, paced the Phoenix with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
• Elon defeated Liberty, 73-62, on Nov. 25, 2014 at Elon's Alumni Gym. Zora Stephenson paced the Phoenix with 14 points and two of her team's eight triples. The Lady Flames' Karly Buer led all scorers with 15 points, while Ashley Rininger fashioned a double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds).
• Monday's game will mark Elon's first visit to the Vines Center since Jan. 28, 2003. The Phoenix are 1-5 all-time in Lynchburg, with the victory coming on Jan. 13, 2000, in Carey Green's first Big South game as Liberty's head coach.
• Coming off of a 19-13 season which culminated in its first Postseason WNIT appearance, Elon was picked fourth in the preseason CAA poll.
• Charlotte Smith is in her fifth season as Elon's head coach. She is perhaps best known for hitting the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer of the 1994 NCAA national championship game, giving North Carolina a dramatic 60-59 win over Louisiana Tech.
• Former Big South member Elon went 2-1 versus Big South schools last season and has both Liberty and High Point (Dec. 19) on its 2015-16 schedule.
Liberty in Home Openers
All-Time Record in Home Openers: 24-16
All-Time Record in Home Openers at the Vines Center: 15-10
Carey Green's Record in Home Openers: 11-5
Current Streak: Liberty has lost two consecutive home openers.
Last Year's Home Opener: Charlotte 79, Liberty 77 (Nov. 14, 2014)
Liberty's Last Win in a Home Opener: Liberty 81, Grambling State 50 (Nov. 16, 2012)
Liberty at the Vines Center
All-Time Record at the Vines Center: 257-64
Carey Green's Record at the Vines Center: 186-28
Current Streak: Liberty has won 12 consecutive games at the Vines Center.
Liberty's Last Loss at the Vines Center: Charlotte 79, Liberty 77 (Nov. 14, 2014)
Record at the Vines Center in 2015-16: 0-0 (13 games remaining)
Last Five Vines Center Records:
2010-11 - 10-1
2011-12 - 11-3
2012-13 - 13-3
2013-14 - 10-3
2014-15 - 12-1
Note: Liberty's current 12-game home winning streak is tied for the sixth longest streak in program history. The Lady Flames' all-time record is 24 straight home wins.
On This Date
Liberty is 5-1 all-time when playing on Nov. 16, including victories over College of Notre Dame (1984), Columbia Union (2006), North Carolina A&T (2007), Virginia Union (2010) and Grambling State (2012) and a 2001 setback to UCLA. The Lady Flames are 3-0 in home openers played on Nov. 16.
Tar Heel State Tussle
Monday's game is the second of Liberty's three consecutive contests against opponents from North Carolina to open the 2015-16 season.
Liberty also closed the 2014-15 campaign with five straight Tar Heel State matchups. The Lady Flames ended the regular season at Campbell, before facing UNC Asheville, Campbell and High Point at the Big South Championship and North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.
The Lady Flames, who went 11-4 against North Carolina-based foes in 2014-15, are 1-0 against Tar Heel State opponents in 2015-16.
Looking For 2-0
Liberty is seeking its first 2-0 start to a season since the 2009-10 Lady Flames opened the year at 5-0.
A Look Back at the Lady Flames' 74-68 Win at Appalachian State
• Liberty notched a 74-68 season-opening victory at Appalachian State Friday morning, marking the Lady Flames' first-ever win over the Mountaineers and their first triumph in a season opener since 2011-12.
• Liberty took the lead for good during a 16-1 run that spanned the first and second quarters.
• Appalachian State cut its deficit to 63-60 with 1:37 remaining, but the Lady Flames hung on thanks to a Jaymee Fisher-Davis three-pointer on their next possession and an 8-of-10 showing at the foul line during the final 34 seconds.
• Liberty outrebounded App State, 47-38, and held the host team to 32.8 percent (22-of-67) shooting from the field.
• Ashley Rininger paced all players in both points (23) and rebounds (11), including 10 points and five boards during the fourth quarter. She recorded her fifth straight double-double, dating back to last season, and became the eighth Lady Flame ever to grab 800 career boards.
• Sadalia Ellis chipped in 16 points, a team-high seven assists, a career-high six rebounds and a team-high four steals.
Fantastic at the Foul Line
The Lady Flames fared well at the free throw line in 2014-15, ranking No. 1 in the Big South and No. 25 nationally at 74.5 percent.
• Liberty broke the program single-season record of 72.8 percent, set in 2007-08.
• Jaymee Fisher-Davis, who was 12-for-12 at the foul line last season, has made a program-record 26 straight free throws, dating back to her freshman year (2012-13).
• Liberty shot 75 percent (21-of-28) from the foul line at Appalachian State on Friday, including 81 percent (17-of-21) after halftime and 80 percent (8-of-10) during the game's final 34 seconds.
