Liberty University
4-12, 0-3ASUN
Jacksonville
9-7, 2-1ASUN
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville | 17 | 12 | 23 | 12 | 64 |
| Liberty | 12 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 52 |
12-0 Run Key to Jacksonville's 64-52 Win Over Liberty
1/12/2019 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jacksonville broke open a close game with a 12-0 run during a pivotal third quarter, Saturday afternoon at Liberty. In the end, the Dolphins spoiled the Lady Flames' first-ever ASUN Conference home game at the Vines Center with a 64-52 decision.
Jacksonville's (9-7, 2-1 ASUN) 12-0 surge pushed its lead from four to 16, and the Dolphins' advantage stayed in double digits the rest of the way. Jasmyn Brown tallied nine of her game-high 15 points during the third quarter as the Dolphins won for the sixth time in their last eight outings.
Liberty falls to 4-12 overall and 0-3 in its inaugural season of ASUN play despite Bridgette Rettstatt's (14 points, 10 rebounds) second straight double-double. The Lady Flames' 21 turnovers led to 21 Jacksonville points, while Liberty was uncharacteristically outrebounded 38-36.
Box Score Highlights
Other Liberty Individuals: Emily Lytle – 8 points, 2-6 3FG; Kierra Johnson-Graham – 7 points, 7 rebounds; Ria Gulley – 7 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists.
Other Jacksonville Individuals: Trudy Walker – 12 points, 9 rebounds; Rolanda Hayes – 12 points.
Key Team Stats: Liberty shot just 38.2 percent (21-of-55) from the field. Jacksonville got to the foul line 14 more times (24-10) than the Lady Flames, sinking 18 of its attempts for 66.7 percent.
Turning Point
Kierra Johnson-Graham's pair of free throws trimmed Liberty's deficit to 34-30 with 5:36 to play in the third quarter.
Jacksonville then went on its aforementioned 12-0 run, with eight of the points coming at the foul line. Shalonda Neely's two foul shots at the 3:26 mark made it 46-30 in favor of the visitors.
Liberty missed four straight shot attempts and committed three turnovers during the run.
Game Summary
First Quarter
• Jacksonville closed out a back-and-forth first quarter with a 7-0 run, taking a 17-12 advantage. All seven Dolphins who played during the period scored points, and 10 of the visitors' tallies came from inside the paint.
• Making her first start since Dec. 4, Bridgette Rettstatt led the Lady Flames with six first-quarter points. Liberty made half (6-of-12) of its field goal attempts but committed seven turnovers during the stanza.
Second Quarter
• Liberty got within four points twice during the second quarter before Jasmyn Brown's baseline jumper at the halftime buzzer lifted Jacksonville's lead to 29-23 at the intermission.
• Strong rebounding helped keep the Dolphins in front during the opening half, as Jacksonville outrebounded the Lady Flames 18-14. Liberty also missed all six of its three-point tries prior to halftime.
Third Quarter
• Jacksonville scored the third quarter's first three points, extending its lead to nine (32-23) before Bridgette Rettstatt tallied five points in just 11 seconds. The sophomore's flourish pulled the Lady Flames within four (32-28).
• Thanks in large part to its 12-0 run, Jacksonville took a 16-point lead (52-36) into the fourth quarter after sinking 10-of-12 free throws during the period. Meanwhile, Liberty shot just 4-of-17 from the floor for the stanza.
Fourth Quarter
• Liberty hit three triples during the final quarter but could get no closer than the final margin of 12 points.
• Jacksonville's cushion reached a game-high 19 points (64-45) before the Lady Flames closed the contest by scoring the final seven points.
Liberty Head Coach Carey Green Quotes
"Our locker room was certainly disappointed. We didn't do enough things right and we continued not shooting the ball very well. We've got to be able to play a lot of aspects much better. The third quarter was a big quarter for them. In that quarter, they shot 12 free throws and made 10. At the end of the day, our inability to attack and get to the foul line and finish shots were major factors in the game."
Notes and Nuggets
• Bridgette Rettstatt's consecutive double-doubles are the first two of her career. She is the first Lady Flame to record back-to-back double-doubles since Keyen Green had three in a row between Dec. 29, 2016 and Jan. 7, 2017.
• Rettstatt has led the Lady Flames in both points and rebounds in all three ASUN Conference games.
• Ria Gulley's five assists were a game high and marked her fourth game of 5+ helpers this season.
• KK Barbour pulled down four rebounds, leaving her eight away from 500 for her career.
• Ashtyn Baker's streak of 19 straight games with a steal came to an end. The sophomore point guard played only 10 minutes before leaving due to injury in the second quarter.
• Jacksonville snapped Liberty's nine-game streak of winning the rebounding battle.
• Liberty has lost all five of its matchups with teams from Florida this season (Bethune-Cookman, FGCU, Jacksonville, Stetson and UCF), including all three of its ASUN tilts.
• Saturday marked the inaugural hardwood meeting between Liberty and Jacksonville.
Up Next
Liberty will return to the road on Tuesday, traveling to Georgia for its first-ever meeting with Kennesaw State (5-10, 1-1 ASUN). Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the KSU Convocation Center. The contest will mark the Lady Flames' first visit to Georgia since a Nov. 30, 2014 victory at Georgia State.
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019
Location: Kennesaw, Ga. (KSU Convocation Center)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: LFSN Radio (90.9 FM The Light Lynchburg)
Tipoff: 7 p.m.
