Liberty University
5-14, 2-4
Charleston Southern
6-11, 2-4
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 21 | 42 | 63 |
| Charleston Southern | 32 | 32 | 64 |
Buccaneers Escape Flames in Final Seconds, Thursday
1/14/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Looking for its third straight win, the Liberty men's basketball team stepped inside Charleston Southern's Buc Dome for a clash with the Buccaneers, Thursday night. Trailing by one with three seconds on the clock, the Flames looked to John Dawson for another game-winning bucket.
After catching a pass from Ryan Kemrite, Dawson dribbled down the court and had a look at a three-point basket. However, the shot hit the front of the rim, giving Charleston Southern the 64-63 victory.
With the defeat, Liberty falls to 5-14 overall and 2-4 in Big South. Charleston Southern moves to 6-11 on the year and 2-4 in conference action. CSU is now on a five-game win streak against the Flames.
Caleb Homesley had a solid shooting night, going 6-of-8 from the field, including 4-of-5 from beyond three-point arc to finish with a game-high 17 points. Dawson continued his scoring trend with 16 points, while Ezra Talbert finished with 11 tallies. Homesley had six rebounds while Dawson had six assists to accompany the pair's scoring efforts.
Aaron Wheeler paced CSU with 14 points. Demetrius Pollard (13) and Reuben King (10) rounded out the Buccaneers' double-figure scorers.
After a tough first half, the Flames shot 53.3 percent (16-of-30) in the second to finish the game with 39.7 percent shooting from the field (23-of-58). The Buccaneers closed out the evening shooting 25-of-49 (51.0 percent).
CSU took advantage down low, outpointing the Flames in the paint, 36-16. Liberty found success from long distance, draining 13 three-pointers, one shy of the Flames' season best. Head coach Ritchie McKay's squad outscored CSU from downtown, 39-15.
The Flames led 3-2 early after a Homesley three-ball, but the Buccaneers took advantage of a five-minute Liberty scoring drought. CSU went on a 7-0 run during the span, capping it with an Aaron Wheeler layup. Talbert ended the Flames' cold spell with a 16-foot jumper at 13:57, making it 9-5.
Liberty began to find success from three-point land before the five-minute mark. With the Flames trailing by eight, Talbert knocked down a trey to chip away at the deficit. Following a King layup, A.C. Reid swished another trifecta to put the Flames within four at 5:12, 20-16.
The Flames struggled from the field during the remaining minutes of the period, with CSU going on a 12-5 run to end the half. Kemrite nailed a three-pointer with three ticks left on the clock to pull Liberty within 11 at halftime, 32-21.
Pollard paced the Buccaneers with 13 points in the opening stanza. Talbert led Liberty with five points.
Charleston Southern shot 48.0 percent (12-of-25) in the first period, while holding the Flames to 25.0 percent (7-of-28). The Bucs took advantage of high percentage shots, outscoring Liberty in the paint, 16-2.
The Buccaneers led by 13 early in the second period, but the Flames quickly chipped away at the deficit. A Homesley three-pointer made it a 10-point game, but Howard answered on the other end with a dunk. Liberty countered with a Lovell Cabbil layup and a Dawson dunk to cut CSU's lead to eight, 38-30, at 17:21.
The Buccaneers regained a 13-point lead after a Danny Upchurch three-pointer with 16:09 left. However, the Flames responded with an 18-4 run, highlighted by five points from Homesley. A Talbert three-pointer at 9:58 gave Liberty its first lead since the 18:52 mark of the first half. After a jumper by Wheeler, an Anthony Fields layup regained the lead for the Flames, 48-47, at 9:30.
CSU posted six unanswered, including back-to-back dunks by Wheeler and Javis Howard. The Flames continued to rely on the three-ball, sinking three over a 3:10 span. A Dawson trey with 2:50 left gave Liberty a one-point lead.
Following a Howard jumper, another Dawson three-ball put the Flames ahead by two. CSU tied the game at 60 with a Wheeler layup and then went ahead with another Howard basket. Homesley's fourth and final three-pointer of the night put Liberty back on top by one with 35 ticks left, but two free throws by Armel Potter sealed the 64-63 final.
Liberty remains on the road Saturday, squaring off again Winthrop. Tipoff inside the Winthrop Coliseum is slated for 4 p.m.
