Liberty University
2-0,0-0ASUN
Ohio
0-2,0-0MAC
Liberty Hangs On For 66-63 Win Over Ohio
11/13/2021 10:52:54 PM | Women's Basketball
Coach Green Postgame Press Conference
Mya Berkman Postgame Press Conference
Bridgette Rettstatt Postgame Press Conference
After leading by 10 points early in the fourth quarter of Saturday night’s matchup at Liberty Arena, Liberty had to withstand a late comeback attempt by Ohio to claim a 66-63 victory.
Bridgette Rettstatt hit two key free throws with 8.1 seconds remaining and the Lady Flames leading by one. She then grabbed the final defensive rebound as time expired, following a missed potential game-tying three-pointer by Ohio’s Gabby Burris.
Liberty, which is now 2-0 to start a season for the first time since 2015-16, improves to 14-0 at Liberty Arena and extends its overall home winning streak to 19 games. Mya Berkman led all players in points (career-high 24) and rebounds (career high-equaling 11) as the Lady Flames avenged a 76-72 defeat at Ohio in last season’s opener.
Preseason MAC favorite Ohio falls to 0-2 for the first time since 2009-10. The Bobcats got 21 points, nine rebounds and five steals from the nation’s active leading scorer, Cece Hooks. However, they shot just 23.3 percent (7-of-30) from three-point range and 50 percent (10-of-20) form the foul line.
Box Score Highlights
Other Liberty Individuals: Dee Brown – 11 points, 9 rebounds; Jordan Bailey – 9 points, 4 rebounds; Alyssa Iverson – 9 points, 4 rebounds; Bridgette Rettstatt – 6 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists.
Other Ohio Individuals: Gabby Burris – 16 points; Erica Johnson – 11 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists.
Key Team Stats: Liberty did not shoot well itself, going 36.2 percent (25-of-69) from the field and 23.1 percent (6-of-26) from beyond the arc. Liberty owned advantages in rebounds (48-38), points in the paint (38-32) and second-chance points (21-11). The Lady Flames turned the ball over 21 times, but those miscues led to only 14 points for Ohio.
Turning Point
Ohio cut a 10-point fourth quarter deficit (56-46) to two (58-56) and later trimmed a seven-point deficit (63-56) to one on two occasions (63-62 and 64-63).
But Liberty made just enough plays to hold off the Bobcats, with none bigger than Rettstatt’s pair of free throws at the 8.1-second mark.
Game Summary
First Quarter
- Dee Brown’s bank shot from just past halfcourt at the buzzer gave Liberty a 21-18 advantage at the end of a back-and-forth opening 10 minutes. The lead changed hands four times and the score was tied on five other occasions during the first quarter.
- Mya Berkman established herself in the paint early on with eight points and three rebounds for the Lady Flames.
Second Quarter
- Liberty never trailed during the second quarter, but needed an Alyssa Iverson triple during the final minute to take a 33-30 edge into halftime.
- Berkman finished the opening half with 13 points and six boards, helping the Lady Flames lead despite shooting just 33.3 percent (13-of-39) during the half.
Third Quarter
- For the third quarter in a row, Liberty hit a clutch three-pointer late in the stanza. Iverson’s trifecta from the right wing lifted Liberty’s lead to 51-43, matching the home team’s largest advantage of the contest up to that point.
Fourth Quarter
- Liberty took its first double-digit lead (56-46) on Brown’s three from the left wing at 8:05 of the final period.
- The Lady Flames only made two field goals the rest of the way but hit six-of-nine foul shots in the final period to close it out.
Notes and Nuggets
- Berkman’s double-double was the second of her career.
- Brown’s nine rebounds set a new career high.
- Ohio native Rettstatt knocked down the two clutch free throws despite shooting just 2-of-12 from the field on the night. She did set a new career high with her seven assists and recorded her 13th career game with 10 or more rebounds (10).
- Jordan Bailey matched her career high from Tuesday’s season-opening win over Belmont Abbey with nine points, helping Liberty’s reserves outscore Ohio’s, 13-3.
- Saturday marked the 497th win of Carey Green’s 23-year coaching career at Liberty.
- The Liberty men’s and women’s basketball teams are now both 14-0 all-time at Liberty Arena, in the facility’s second season of existence.
- Ohio was the first MAC team to play in Lynchburg in 25 years (Akron on Dec. 7, 1996).
Up Next
Liberty will continue its four-game season-opening homestand Thursday at 7 p.m. with a matchup against Commonwealth foe James Madison (1-0).
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