WBB Game Day: Central Arkansas
1/3/2023 3:50:38 PM | Women's Basketball
Game Day Links:
Live Video (ESPN+)
Live Audio (LFSN Radio)
Liberty Women’s Basketball Instagram
Liberty Women’s Basketball Twitter
Liberty Women’s Basketball Facebook
Central Arkansas Women’s Basketball Webpage
ASUN Women’s Basketball Webpage
Game Time:
Thursday – 3:30 p.m.
TV Coverage:
ESPN+
Play-By-Play Broadcaster: Kyle West
Color Analyst: Kelley Deyo
Radio Coverage:
Liberty Flames Sports Network – Radio
WQLU 90.9 FM The Light
Play-By-Play Broadcaster: Jamie Hall
Liberty’s Top Storylines
• Liberty (6-6, 0-1 ASUN) will tip off its ASUN Conference home schedule with a Thursday matinee against Central Arkansas (5-7, 0-1 ASUN).
• The Lady Flames and Sugar Bears have split their two previous meetings. Thursday will mark the first time Central Arkansas has ever visited Lynchburg.
• Seeking its first ASUN victory of the season, Liberty enters the contest on a three-game home winning streak. The Lady Flames are 3-1 at Liberty Arena this season and 31-3 all-time at the facility, including 16-1 versus ASUN opponents.
• Liberty's leading scorer (14.8 ppg) and rebounder (7.5 rpg), Mya Berkman was a Preseason All-ASUN selection. She paced the Lady Flames with 17 points during Monday's conference opener at FGCU and currently ranks No. 3 nationally in field goal percentage at 68.0.
• Point guard Kennedi Williams posted eight points and six assists at FGCU, including the 300th assist of her career. She has tallied 21 assists in the last three contests, including a career-high nine helpers during the Lady Flames' 66-54 win at Washington on Dec. 18.
Notes and Anecdotes – Liberty vs. Central Arkansas
• Liberty has faced Central Arkansas on the Sugar Bears' home court in Conway, Ark., and in San Antonio. But Thursday's game will mark Central Arkansas' first-ever visit to Lynchburg.
• Both teams opened ASUN play on Monday by losing to one of the squads who squared off in last year's ASUN Championship title game.
• Liberty has won three straight home games, while the Sugar Bears arrive in town riding a three-game road losing streak.
• Liberty's Hope LeMelle and Central Arkansas' Kayla Mitchell were teammates at Lamar last season.
• Emma Hess paces the Lady Flames with 25 three-pointers this season. By comparison, Central Arkansas has knocked down a total of 30 triples as a team in 2022-23.
• Liberty's Carey Green and Central Arkansas' Sandra Rushing have combined for more than 1,000 career victories.
• Liberty is hoping to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018 while UCA last appeared in 2017.
• In basketball circles, Central Arkansas is best known as the alma mater of Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen.
Liberty in ASUN Home Openers
• Liberty is 3-1 all-time in ASUN home openers, having won three straight since losing its first-ever ASUN home contest to Jacksonville, 64-52 on Jan. 12, 2019 at the Vines Center.
• The Lady Flames are averaging 80.3 ppg in their last three ASUN home openers, including victories over Jacksonville, Lipscomb and Kennesaw State.
• Dating back to its time in the Big South, Liberty has won eight of its last nine conference home openers.
At Home in the ASUN
• Liberty is 54-21 against ASUN Conference opponents since joining the league prior to the 2018-19 season, including 30-6 at home.
• The Lady Flames are 26-6 in ASUN Conference home games and 4-0 in ASUN Championship contests played in Lynchburg.
• The Lady Flames are 16-1 versus ASUN opponents at Liberty Arena, including 15-1 in conference play and 1-0 in the ASUN Championship.
Featured in Main Photo: #11 Caroline Shiery
