Liberty University
6-3,2-0ASUN
Lipscomb
3-5,0-2ASUN
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT 1 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lipscomb | 13 | 9 | 22 | 19 | 3 | 66 |
| Liberty | 6 | 17 | 22 | 18 | 13 | 76 |
Baker Powers Liberty Past Lipscomb for OT Win
1/3/2021 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Coach Sherard Postgame Press Conference
Ashtyn Baker Postgame Press Conference
Emily Lytle Postgame Press Conference
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The 100th game of Ashtyn Baker's collegiate career became a memorable one for the Liberty senior, Sunday afternoon at Liberty Arena. Her career-high 27 points led the Lady Flames to a come-from-behind 76-66 overtime win over Lipscomb, completing Liberty's two-game weekend series sweep of the Bisons.
Liberty, which ended the contest with a 13-0 run, improves to 6-3 overall and is now 2-0 to start ASUN Conference play for the first time. The Lady Flames have won five straight games overall, 10 straight meetings with ASUN foes and 10 consecutive home games.
Liberty's first overtime contest of the season marks the second straight year the Lady Flames have gone to overtime at home against the Bisons. Liberty topped Lipscomb 64-60 in OT on Jan. 18, 2020 at the Vines Center and is now 7-0 all-time in the head-to-head series.
Lipscomb falls to 3-5 overall and 0-2 in the ASUN despite a gritty effort which featured 22 points apiece from Taylor Clark and Casey Collier. Jordan Peete's pair of free throws with 0.9 seconds remaining forced overtime, but the Bisons missed five straight shots and committed three turnovers during the final 3:32 of the extra frame.
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Baker – 27 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds in 44:49 of playing time; Emily Lytle – 18 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 9-10 FT; Mya Berkman – 15 points, 6 rebounds, 6-7 FG; Dee Brown – 7 points, 7 rebounds.
Lipscomb Individuals: Clark – 22 points, 3 steals, 3-7 3FG; Collier – 22 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists; Peete – 9 points, 4 rebounds.
Key Team Stats: Both teams shot similar percentages from the field, with Liberty ending up at 43.9 percent (25-of-57) and Lipscomb at 42.9 percent (24-of-56). The Lady Flames outscored the Bisons by 10 points at the foul line, setting season highs for free throws made (19) and attempted (28). Liberty was +11 (41-30) in the rebound column. Lipscomb scored 26 points off Liberty's 20 turnovers.
Turning Point
Jalyn Holcomb knocked down the visitors' ninth and final three-pointer of the contest 48 seconds into overtime, putting Lipscomb in front, 66-63. However, those proved to be the Bisons' final points of the contest as Liberty tallied the game's final 13 points.
Makaela Kestner's backdoor layup with 2:55 to play put Liberty in front for good at 68-66. The Lady Flames later sealed the win with six straight made free throws over the final two minutes.
Game Summary
First Quarter
• One day after posting a 26-point opening quarter against Lipscomb, the Lady Flames managed only six first-quarter points on 3-of-15 shooting with six turnovers.
• Clark led the Bisons with eight points, helping the visitors lead by as many as nine points (13-4) on their way to a 13-6 cushion through 10 minutes of play.
Second Quarter
• Baker scored the final six points of the Lady Flames' half-ending 9-0 run, giving Liberty its lone lead of the first half (23-22) with a layup 35 seconds before the intermission. That's how the teams went into the locker room at halftime, following Liberty's lowest-scoring half of the season.
Third Quarter
• Emily Lytle and Baker knocked down triples within the opening minute of the third quarter, closing out a 15-0 overall run with Liberty in front, 29-22.
• That set the tone for a period dominated by three-point shooting. The Lady Flames were 5-of-7 from beyond the arc during the stanza while the Bisons shot 5-of-6. Liberty emerged with a 45-44 edge after nearly as many points were scored during the third quarter (44) as during the entire first half (45).
Fourth Quarter
• Neither team led by more than five points during a fourth period which included two ties and a pair of lead changes.
• Baker scored eight fourth-quarter points, including an apparent game-winning pull-up jumper with 1.9 seconds remaining. However, Peete drew a foul as she raced up the court and hit a pair of free throws to extend the game.
Overtime
• Liberty outscored Lipscomb 13-3 in overtime, going 3-of-4 from the field and 7-of-8 from the foul line during the Lady Flames' third straight overtime win dating back to last season. Liberty's 10-point margin of victory was the only double-digit lead by either team during the entire contest.
Notes and Nuggets
• Baker's career-high 27 points marked her fifth career 20-point game and her fourth straight contest in double figures. She is averaging 20.0 ppg over the last four outings, all Liberty wins.
• Baker set a new Liberty Arena record for points in a game, breaking Bridgette Rettstatt's record of 22 points in the facility's inaugural contest against Norfolk State on Dec. 1.
• Baker moved into 18th place on Liberty's all-time scoring list during the game and has now scored 912 points for her career.
• Baker played the entire game until the last 11 seconds of overtime, recording the most minutes by a Lady Flame since Candice Leatherwood's 49 in the 2016 Big South Championship title game at UNC Asheville.
• Lytle's 41 minutes were also a career high. She scored 16 of her 18 points after halftime, setting season highs for free throws made (9) and attempted (10). Lytle is shooting 93.9 percent (31-of-33) from the line this season.
• Lytle also eclipsed the 900-point mark on Sunday, ending up with 904 career markers as a Lady Flame.
• Eight of Berkman's 15 points came during the fourth quarter and overtime. She is averaging 15.0 ppg over the last three games.
• Sunday marked the first overtime contest played at Liberty Arena, as the home team remained unbeaten there. The Liberty men's basketball team is 6-0 at Liberty Arena, while the Lady Flames improved to 5-0.
• Liberty is now on its 12th home winning streak of 10 or more games in program history and first since a 15-game streak spanning Nov. 28, 2017-March 11, 2018.
• Liberty's Saturday and Sunday contests with Lipscomb marked the first time the Lady Flames have ever faced the same opponent on back-to-back days.
Up Next
Liberty's Jan. 9 and Jan. 10 contests at FGCU have been postponed. As a result, the Lady Flames' next game is currently scheduled for Jan. 16 at 2 p.m., when Stetson visits Liberty Arena. However, the ASUN Conference schedule is subject to change.
