WBB Game Day Central: Presbyterian
2/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Game Day Central Page
Liberty's Women's Basketball Game Notes
Game Time:
5 p.m.
Radio Coverage:
Liberty Flames Sports Network – Radio
WWMC 90.9 FM The Light
Play-By-Play Broadcaster: Jamie Hall
Today's Game
Big South-leading Liberty (18-6, 14-1 Big South) will travel to Presbyterian (13-12, 8-8 Big South) for a battle between the Big South's top two defensive teams. Tipoff is slated for Saturday at 5 p.m. inside the Templeton Center. Liberty is seeking a regular-season sweep of the Blue Hose after recording a 59-42 victory at the Vines Center on Jan. 5.
The "Starting Five" - Liberty's Top Storylines
1) Liberty, which leads the Big South standings by three games with five contests to play, can clinch a share of the regular-season conference title with a win on Saturday and a Radford loss at Charleston Southern.
2) The Lady Flames will look to become just the second visiting team to win at Presbyterian this season. The Blue Hose are 10-1 at the Templeton Center in 2014-15 and also handed Liberty a 46-43 setback in Clinton last season.
3) Presbyterian is known for its staunch defense, and this season is no exception. The Blue Hose are ranked No. 6 nationally for scoring defense, allowing just 51.8 ppg. However, Liberty has owned the top defense in Big South play this season, yielding only 50.2 ppg in conference games.
4) A victory on Saturday would give Liberty its longest winning streak of the season at seven games. The Lady Flames have not won seven consecutive games since posting a 14-game winning streak between Jan. 19-March 10, 2013.
5) Ashley Rininger is just 31 points away from becoming the 15th 1,000-point scorer in program history. However, she has struggled against Presbyterian in recent meetings, averaging 8.3 ppg versus the Blue Hose in the last three Liberty-PC matchups.
Liberty vs. Presbyterian At a Glance
Series History
Series Record: Liberty leads, 12-2.
Current Streak: Liberty won two consecutive meetings.
Series Record at Presbyterian: Liberty leads, 4-1.
Current Streak at Presbyterian: Presbyterian won the most recent meeting.
Last Meeting Overall: Liberty 59, Presbyterian 42 (Jan. 5, 2015 at Liberty)
Last Meeting at Presbyterian: Presbyterian 46, Liberty 43 (Feb. 13, 2014)
Presbyterian's Last Series Victory: Presbyterian 46, Liberty 43 (Feb. 13, 2014 at PC)
Liberty's Last Series Victory at PC: Liberty 69, Presbyterian 64 (Feb. 20, 2012)
Coaching Matchup
Liberty Head Coach: Carey Green
Overall Record (Seasons): 375-127 (16th Season)
Record at Liberty (Seasons): Same
Record vs. Presbyterian: 12-2
Presbyterian Head Coach: Ronny Fisher
Overall Record (Seasons): 76-128 (Seventh Season)
Record at Presbyterian (Seasons): Same
Record vs. Liberty: 2-11
Notes and Anecdotes
• Led by Jaymee Fisher-Davis (13 points), Mickayla Sanders (10 points, 8 rebounds) and Emily Frazier (9 points, 9 assists), Liberty's reserves paved the way for a 59-42 home victory over Presbyterian on Jan. 5. The Lady Flames' non-starters scored 37 of the team's 59 points on the evening. PC was paced by Aianna Kelly's 15 points.
• The last Liberty-Presbyterian matchup at the Templeton Center resulted in PC's first-ever home win over the Lady Flames, a 46-43 triumph on Feb. 13, 2014. Sherece Smith scored 18 points for the Blue Hose and Karlee Taylor added 14 markers, including Presbyterian's final eight points of the game. Sadalia Ellis contributed a team-high 10 points for the Lady Flames.
• Presbyterian is 10-1 at home this season, with the only setback coming at the hands of Radford, 43-35 on Jan. 8.
• Presbyterian (51.8 ppg) and Liberty (58.2 ppg) rank first and second in the Big South for fewest points allowed. The Blue Hose rank No. 6 nationally in the category.
• Eight of the last 10 Liberty-Presbyterian matchups have seen both teams held below the 60-point mark.
• Liberty is 53-7 all-time in games played in South Carolina under Carey Green, including 2-1 this season.
Fantastic at the Foul Line
Liberty has shot 82.4 percent (61-of-74) at the free throw line during the last four games, boosting the Lady Flames' season free throw percentage to 74.8 percent.
• Liberty leads the Big South and ranks No. 23 nationally for free throw percentage.
• The Lady Flames are on track to break the program single-season free throw percentage record of 72.8 percent, set in 2007-08.
Fantastic at the Foul Line, Part 2
Jennifer Fairfax has held the program record for consecutive free throws made since 1991, when she hit 22 straight foul shots. However, that mark has been challenged this season.
• Simone Brown connected on 21 consecutive free throws between Nov. 28 and Dec. 21.
• Jaymee Fisher-Davis has made 20 straight free throws and has not missed one since her freshman season (March 10, 2013).
• Karly Buer is currently on a streak of 18 consecutive made free throws since her most recent miss on Dec. 30. She leads the Big South and ranks No. 16 nationally at 88.7 percent from the foul line. Buer hit 30 straight foul shots during the 2011-12 season at Missouri State.
1,000 in Sight
Ashley Rininger enters Saturday's game 31 points away from 1,000 for her career. She is aiming to become the 15th Lady Flame ever to reach the 1,000-point mark and the fourth Ohioan to do so (also Megan Frazee, Moriah Frazee and Kristal Tharp).
A Look Back at Liberty's 78-64 Win Over Coastal Carolina
• A team effort and impressive free throw shooting enabled Liberty to stave off Coastal Carolina's furious comeback, Feb. 7 at the Vines Center. The Lady Flames' 78-64 victory was their 44th straight triumph in the head-to-head series with the Chanticleers.
• Liberty raced out to an early 33-10 advantage before the Chanticleers trimmed the deficit to eight points.
• However, the Lady Flames' depth (42-22 advantage in bench points) and free throw shooting (83.9 percent on 26-of-31) were too much for Coastal Carolina to overcome.
• The Lady Flames, who clinched a first-round bye for the 2015 Big South Women's Basketball Championship, have now won six straight games overall and 10 consecutive contests at the Vines Center.
• Coastal Carolina scored more points (64) than any other Big South team has against Liberty in 2014-15, including 21 by the conference's leading scorer, AJ Jordan.
• Aided by 26 points in the paint, Liberty shot 44.2 percent (23-of-52) from the field. The Lady Flames' 26 free throws made and 31 free throws attempted both equaled season highs.
• Liberty outrebounded its 13th straight opponent (37-30) and converted 13 offensive boards into 22 second-chance points.
• Ashley Rininger scored a team-high 16 points and collected a game-high seven rebounds. That makes her the eighth Liberty player with 700 career boards. Rininger also blocked two shots and came up with a career-high four steals.
• Mickayla Sanders hit three of Liberty's six triples on her way to a 14-point evening.
Darlings of Defense
Liberty has played stingy defense during Big South contests this season, ranking first in the conference for points allowed (50.2 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (30.5).
• The Lady Flames have held nine of their 15 conference foes below the 50-point mark and no Big South team has scored more than 64 points against Liberty in 2014-15.
• Liberty has limited three of its last six opponents (Campbell, High Point and Radford) to season-low point totals. The 39 points Radford scored against the Lady Flames on Feb. 2 were the fewest Liberty has allowed in a game since Feb. 28, 2013.
Controlling the Paint
Liberty is 12-1 in its last 13 games, thanks in large part to its success around the basket.
• The Lady Flames have outrebounded each of their last 13 opponents, by an average of 13.6 boards per game.
• Liberty has also outscored all 13 foes inside the paint, by an average of 15.4 ppg.
