Liberty University
3-10, 2-0BSC
High Point
3-10, 1-1BSC
Green, Johnson Shine in Liberty's 81-74 Win Over High Point
1/7/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Keyen Green (26 points, 11 rebounds) and Nene Johnson (16 points) both set career highs for points, leading Liberty past High Point, 81-74, in an offensive shootout on a snowy Saturday at the Vines Center.
Liberty's Big South home opener was played two hours earlier than originally scheduled, due to significant snowfall in the Lynchburg area. However, that had no negative effect on the teams' offensive production, as the Lady Flames and Panthers combined to make 19 three-pointers and Liberty topped the 80-point mark for the second outing in a row.
After a 1-10 start to the season, Liberty has now won back-to-back Big South contests to open the year 2017. The Lady Flames (3-10, 2-0 Big South) enjoyed a balanced offensive attack, making double-digit triples (10) for the second straight game and adding 36 points in the paint.
Green's individual effort was notable on several fronts. She paced all players with 11 rebounds to complete her third straight double-double and her fifth of the season. Green's 26 points were the most by a Liberty freshman since Devon Brown notched 29 markers on a similarly snowy day at High Point on Jan. 30, 2010.
High Point falls to 3-10 overall, 1-1 in Big South play and 0-6 on the road this season despite season-high scoring outbursts from the backcourt duo of Kayla Keys (25 points, 4 steals) and Emma Bockrath (19 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists). After a scorching start, the Panthers made just 2-of-19 three-pointers during the final three quarters.
Both teams were coming off of games where they scored 80+ points in Big South victories on Tuesday, and that offensive momentum carried into the first half in a big way. High Point made 7-of-10 three-pointers during the first 10 minutes, including four Keys triples as part of her 14-point quarter.
The Panthers led 15-5 before Liberty rallied late in the stanza. Liberty shot 6-of-12 from beyond the arc itself in the first period, punctuated by Ola Makurat's buzzer-beating triple. That cut Liberty's deficit to 28-25 entering the second quarter.
Green scored seven points during the first 2:56 of the second quarter, including an old-fashioned three-point play which gave Liberty its first lead (37-35) of the day, at the 7:04 mark.
The lead changed hands four times over the next 4:34, before the Lady Flames put together a 9-0 run. Johnson scored five of the points, ending with a three-point play which gave Liberty a 49-42 cushion, 1:11 before halftime.
The Lady Flames owned a 49-43 advantage at the intermission after their highest-scoring half of the season. Meanwhile, the Panthers missed their last 10 field goal attempts of the half, going the final 8:04 of the second quarter without a made field goal.
Liberty shot well in the first half from both the field (48.6 percent, 17-of-35) and three-point range (53.8 percent, 7-of-13), getting 20 points in the paint and 24 bench points. The Lady Flames were led by the inside-outside duo of Green (16 points, six rebounds) and Johnson (13 points).
Keys finished with 16 first-half points for High Point, but the Panthers made only 20 percent (3-of-15) of their field goals in the second quarter, including none of their six three-point tries. High Point closed the half at 36.4 percent (12-of-33) from the floor and 43.8 percent (7-of-16) from three-point distance.
Lela Sellers scored five straight points by herself early in the third quarter, lifting the Lady Flames to their first double-digit lead (61-51) of the evening with 6:42 remaining in the period.
For the second straight quarter, High Point went cold late in the stanza, making just one of its final 10 field goal attempts. That enabled Liberty to extend its advantage to 11 points (67-56) at the end of the third quarter.
Bockrath and Keys scored seven points apiece in the fourth quarter, sparking a comeback attempt by the Panthers. High Point got as close as 78-74 on Keys' jumper with 29 seconds remaining. But she fouled out seven seconds later and Johnson wrapped up the Liberty victory by making three free throws the rest of the way.
Liberty finished at 43.8 percent (28-of-64) from the field, 41.7 percent (10-of-24) from three-point range and 60 percent (15-of-25) from the free throw line. Meanwhile, High Point made 35.7 percent (25-of-70) of its field goals, 31 percent (9-of-29) of its triples and 78.9 percent (15-of-19) of its free throws.
Liberty scored 36 points in the paint to High Point's 20 and won the rebounding battle, 47-42. Both teams grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and scored 20+ second-chance points.
Johnson's scoring output helped the Lady Flames' bench tally a season-high 33 points, tripling the 11 points scored by High Point's reserves.
Audrey Rettstatt also made an impact off the Liberty bench with nine points, five rebounds and a career-high four of the Lady Flames' seven blocked shots. Rettstatt had only rejected five shots in her four-year career prior to Saturday.
Up Next
Liberty will face Presbyterian (4-9, 2-0 Big South) Tuesday at 7 p.m. inside the Vines Center, wrapping up a quick, two-game homestand. The game will be a battle between two of the four remaining 2-0 squads in Big South play.
