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Liberty University
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Gardner-Webb
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Gardner-Webb Edges Liberty in BSC Opener
12/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Candace Brown scored 10 of her game-high 17 points during the fourth quarter, helping Gardner-Webb edge Liberty, 61-57, in a back-and-forth Big South opener, Wednesday evening at Paul Porter Arena.
The contest, which featured nine ties and 13 lead changes, saw Liberty fall to 2-5 with its fifth straight loss. The Lady Flames' season-high 31 turnovers contributed to their first setback in a Big South opener since the 2009-10 season and snapped Liberty's 14-game winning streak versus conference foes.
Gardner-Webb, which had lost each of its last eight meetings with the Lady Flames, improves to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in Big South play. The Runnin' Bulldogs came up with 23 offensive rebounds and 17 steals, overcoming a 28.4 percent (21-of-74) field goal effort.
Both teams got off to a slow start offensively, missing a combined 14 field goal attempts to start the game. Liberty never trailed during the first quarter and took a 15-14 lead into the second 10 minutes, thanks largely to six points and three rebounds by Katelyn Adams.
Gardner-Webb limited the Lady Flames to eight second-quarter points. Meanwhile, Alexus Hill scored seven of her nine first-half points during the period, including two free throws at the 36.4-second mark which gave the Runnin' Bulldogs their first lead of the opening half, 24-23.
That was the halftime score after Liberty shot just 29.6 percent (8-of-27) from the field and committed 13 turnovers during the half. Gardner-Webb made only 25 percent (9-of-36) of its field goals itself.
The third quarter saw five ties and five lead changes. Somewhat appropriately, the two teams were deadlocked at 39-39 at the end of three periods. Liberty overcame 13 third-quarter turnovers by making both of its three-point tries and all eight of its free throw attempts.
The Lady Flames used a 7-0 run to take a 50-44 lead on a Sadalia Ellis layup with 6:15 remaining on the fourth-quarter clock. Brown then scored seven points during an ensuing 12-4 Gardner-Webb surge, including a three-pointer at 2:32 which put the Runnin' Bulldogs on top for good at 56-54.
Liberty got to within one (56-55) on a free throw by Ellis with 20.6 to play and again (58-57) on a jumper in the paint by Ashley Rininger at the 12-second mark. But Gardner-Webb hit five of its six foul shots during the final 15.9 seconds and survived a potential game-tying shot attempt by Rininger in the closing seconds.
The Lady Flames finished at a season-low 34 percent (17-of-50) from the field. However, they did hit a season-high six triples and shot a season-bests 85 percent (17-of-20) at the foul line.
Liberty won the battle of the boards, 47-41, aided by Adams' second straight 15-rebound effort. Adams, who also scored eight points, moved into 10th place in program history with 638 career boards.
Ellis paced the Lady Flames with 12 points and Rininger added 10 points and eight rebounds, after both players were held scoreless before halftime.
Jaymee Fisher-Davis and Catherine Kearney contributed eight points apiece, with Kearney matching her season high of eight rebounds.
Brown completed a strong all-around effort for Gardner-Webb with a team-high nine rebounds and six steals. She was joined in double figures in the scoring column by fellow starting guards Tierra Huntsman (14 points) and Hill (12 points).
Liberty will host Charleston Southern (5-2, 1-0 Big South) in its Big South home opener, Saturday at 5 p.m. The contest will be the second half of a basketball doubleheader at the Vines Center, following the Charleston Southern at Liberty men's hoops clash at 2 p.m.
