Liberty University
16-5,11-2ASUN
Stetson
7-11,5-8ASUN
Lady Flames Hold Off Hatters for 62-58 Win
2/27/2021 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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A stingy third-quarter defense and some key defensive stops late in the fourth quarter allowed Liberty to open its weekend series against Stetson with a 62-58 win, Saturday afternoon, at Liberty Arena.
The Lady Flames built as large a lead as 17 points during the third quarter before the Hatters came storming back to make it a one-possession game during the contest's waning moments.
With the victory, Liberty ups its record to 16-5 on the season and 11-2 in ASUN play, while extending its current win streak to four games. Stetson, who had won three of its last four games coming into the weekend, falls to 7-11 on the year and 5-8 in league play.
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Ashtyn Baker – 16 points, 6-14 FG, 4-8 3FG, 5 rebounds; Bridgette Rettstatt – 6 points, 7 rebounds; Alyssa Iverson – 6 points, 3-5 FG, 6 rebounds.
Stetson Individuals: Kiya Turner – 19 points, 9 rebounds, 4-10 FG, 10-13 FT; Yazz Wazeerud-Din – 15 points, 6-11 FG, 4 steals; Jamiya Turner – 13 points, 7 points, 5-14 FG, 3 assists.
Key Team Stats: The Lady Flames controlled the pace of play during the first half, shooting 48.1 percent from the floor (13-of-27) to take a 32-28 lead into the break. Liberty's depth allowed the Lady Flames' bench to outscore Stetson's reserves, 22-8. Liberty finished the game forcing 21 turnovers, which it converted into 24 points, compared to Stetson's 10 points off of 15 Lady Flames giveaways.
Turning Point
After the Lady Flames held Stetson to one made field goal during the third quarter to build a 48-35 lead, the Hatters pushed the home team with 23 points during the final stanza.
Stetson made its first five field goal attempts of the fourth quarter, getting as close as one, 55-54, with 3:44 left to play.
With Liberty's offense struggling to connect on its end of the floor late in the contest, the Lady Flames' defense forced the visitors to turn the ball over three times during the final two minutes. A trio of charges taken by Liberty kept Stetson from scoring from inside the paint and allowed the Lady Flames to secure the victory.
Game Summary
First Quarter
• A three-pointer by Baker at the 4:31 mark, her second of the period, allowed Liberty to open a six-point lead, 13-7, its largest of the period.
• The Hatters scored the game's next nine points and held Liberty scoreless for nearly five minutes (4:52), building a 16-13 lead before a pair of Kennedi Williams free throws with six seconds left trimmed the visitors' advantage to 16-15.
Second Quarter
• Great ball movement by the Lady Flames, where four straight successful pass attempts led to an easy layup for Rettstatt, capped a short 5-0 burst for Liberty to take a 26-21 lead with 5:34 left to play before halftime.
• A layup by Jamiya Turner trimmed Liberty's lead to one, 26-25, with 4:10 left, but the Lady Flames scored six of the half's last nine points to take a 32-28 advantage into the locker room.
Third Quarter
• A quick layup by Mya Berkman 36 seconds into the third quarter started a 15-3 run for the Lady Flames which staked Liberty to a 17-point lead, 48-31, with 1:29 left to play in the third.
• The Hatters finished the period shooting 1-of-8 from the field. Their lone basket came on a three-pointer from the corner just in front of the Stetson bench by Kiya Turner with four seconds left, sending Liberty into the final period with a 48-35 lead.
Fourth Quarter
• Stetson attempted the same number of field goals during the fourth quarter as it did the third; however, the Hatters connected on 6-of-8 from the field and 11-of-14 from the line to storm back into the game.
• Stetson cut Liberty's advantage to one point, 55-54, with 3:44 left to play, but the Hatters had only one field goal during the last 4:24 of the game, which thwarted their attempted comeback.
Notes and Nuggets
• Baker paced the Lady Flames with 16 points, her eighth double-digit scoring effort of the season against ASUN opponents and her 13th of the season overall.
• Baker finished the game hitting 4-of-8 attempts from behind the three-point arc, marking her second most three-pointers in an ASUN game this season and giving her 81 triples for her career.
• Stetson outrebounded the Lady Flames, 34-31, snapping a nine-game streak where Liberty had won the rebounding battle. Liberty had won the rebounding battle in nine straight games coming into the weekend and 15 out of 20 times this season.
• The Lady Flames are 11-0 at Liberty Arena and have won 16 straight home games, dating back to last season.
• With the win today, Liberty gives itself a chance to post an undefeated record at home for the seventh time in program history and the first time since the 2017-18 season.
• Stetson has now held its last seven opponents to 70 or fewer points and limited Liberty to its second-lowest offensive output of the 2020-21 season (season low was 60 points in a 60-50 win over Kennesaw State on Jan. 10, 2021).
• The Lady Flames finished the game with 10 steals, its first double-digit steal total in ASUN Conference play and its first since recording 11 takeaways against Carson-Newman on Dec. 13, 2020.
• Stetson, who played the game with nine active players, finished the contest with eight bench points, the third fewest bench points allowed by Liberty this season.
• Liberty forced Stetson to turn the ball over 21 times during the game, marking the fourth time in 2020-21 the Lady Flames have forced 20 or more turnovers and second time in ASUN play (the Lady Flames forced 22 against Lipscomb on Jan. 3, 2021).
Up Next
Liberty and Stetson will conclude their two-game weekend series and the home portion of the Lady Flames' 2020-21 schedule, Sunday at 2 p.m. inside Liberty Arena. Ashtyn Baker, Nenna Lindstrom, Emily Lytle and Bridgette Rettstatt will be honored during a pregame Senior Day ceremony.
