WBB Game Day Central: UNC Asheville
1/3/2016 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: Britton Lynn
Radio Coverage:
Liberty Flames Sports Network – Radio
WQLU 90.9 FM The Light
Play-By-Play Broadcaster: Jamie Hall
Today's Game
Liberty (6-7, 3-1 Big South) will host UNC Asheville (11-2, 4-0 Big South) in a battle for first place in the Big South standings, Monday at 7 p.m. inside the Vines Center. The Bulldogs currently sit in first place, with the Lady Flames and Presbyterian tied for second place.
The "Starting Five" - Liberty's Top Storylines
1) Liberty is riding a season-best three-game winning streak, allowing just 50.7 ppg during the last three contests. The Lady Flames will try to slow down conference-leading UNC Asheville and its 74.5 ppg scoring average.
2) Asheville has played well away from home this year, going 5-2 on the road and winning all three of its Big South road tilts thus far. However, Liberty is 26-2 at home against the Bulldogs all-time, including eight wins in a row. Additionally, the Lady Flames have won 15 straight Big South home games since a 94-89 double overtime setback to High Point on Jan. 30, 2014.
3) Liberty will possess a significant size advantage on Monday. However, it is the Bulldogs who currently rank No. 1 in the Big South in rebound margin at +6.9. The Lady Flames have already been outrebounded more times this season (4) than during the entire 2014-15 campaign (3), including Saturday at Radford.
4) Mickayla Sanders will look to continue her momentum from the second half of Saturday's win at Radford. Sanders scored 19 of her season-high 21 points after halftime, highlighted by four three-pointers.
5) Sadalia Ellis played a key role in Liberty's 62-58 home win over Asheville last season (Jan. 27, 2015), with 17 points and six assists. She has scored in double figures in each of the last two games for the Lady Flames.
Liberty vs. UNC Asheville At a Glance
Series History
Series Record: Liberty leads, 51-8.
Current Streak: Liberty has won four consecutive meetings.
Series Record at Liberty: Liberty leads, 26-2.
Current Streak at Liberty: Liberty has won eight consecutive meetings.
Last Meeting Overall: Liberty 59, UNC Asheville 51 (March 5, 2015 at Coastal Caro.)
Last Meeting at Liberty: Liberty 62, UNC Asheville 58 (Jan. 27, 2015)
Asheville's Last Series Victory: Asheville 83, Liberty 80 (OT) (Jan. 18, 2014 at Ashe.)
Asheville's Last Series Victory at Liberty: Asheville 54, Liberty 51 (Feb. 24, 2007)
On This Date
Liberty is 5-3 all-time on Jan. 4, including 2-1 in Big South games (all three were matchups with Coastal Carolina). The Lady Flames have won five straight Jan. 4 contests.
Picking Up the Slack
Liberty has won three straight games without leading scorer Ashley Rininger in the lineup. The trio of Catherine Kearney (15.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.7 bpg), Mickayla Sanders (13.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg) and Sadalia Ellis (12.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.0 spg) has led the way.
Shaking Things Up
Head Coach Carey Green has used seven different starting lineups during this season's first 13 games, including a different combination in six of the last eight outings. The Lady Flames have already matched the number of starting lineups they used during the entire 2014-15 season. Ten different players have started this season.
A Look Back at the Lady Flames' 49-43 Victory at Radford
• Junior Mickayla Sanders scored 19 of her season-high 21 points after halftime, leading Liberty past Radford, 49-43, Saturday afternoon at the Dedmon Center.
• In the process, the Lady Flames snapped the Highlanders' 13-game home winning streak.
• Sadalia Ellis (12 points) also played a key role in Liberty's third straight win, including a stepback triple late in the shot clock with 2:56 to play which put the Lady Flames in front for good.
• The defensive struggle featured six ties and 11 lead changes.
• Radford struggled shooting from the field (34.1 percent, 14-of-41), three-point range (10 percent, 1-of-10) and from the foul line (53.8 percent, 14-of-26).
• Liberty shot only 37.2 percent (16-of-43) from the field on the day, but was aided by six made triples at a 42.9 percent clip.
• In a battle between the Big South's top two rebounding teams, Radford pulled down 37 boards to Liberty's 28.
It's Been a While
• Liberty's 49-43 win at Radford on Jan. 2 marked the first time the Lady Flames have won a game when scoring fewer than 50 points since a 45-43 triumph at Virginia Tech on Dec. 30, 2008.
• The Lady Flames got off to their worst start through 10 games (3-7) since the 2008-09 team also opened up 3-7. However, that is not necessarily a bad sign, as both Liberty teams to start 3-7 or worse under Carey Green have reached the NCAA Tournament.
• After holding 69 straight opponents below 50 percent field goal shooting, Liberty has allowed three of its last eight foes to make at least half of their field goal attempts.
• The Lady Flames have already been outrebounded more times this season (4) than during the entire 2014-15 campaign (3).
• Liberty's 36-point loss (92-56) to Seton Hall on Dec. 12 was its largest margin of defeat in Vines Center history. The facility opened in 1990.
