Claudia Acin
WBB Game Day: Grand Canyon
12/18/2023 7:17:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Game Day Coverage
- Liberty vs. Grand Canyon (Liberty Arena)
- Tipoff: Wednesday at 2:02 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN+
- Radio: LFSN Radio
- Live Stats
- Liberty (3-9, 0-0 CUSA) will tip off a four-game homestand on Wednesday, welcoming preseason WAC favorite Grand Canyon (8-2, 2-0 WAC) to Liberty Arena for the first time.
- The Lady Flames are 4-0 all-time versus WAC opponents, including 1-0 against GCU and 1-0 this season (84-81 OT win at Stephen F. Austin on Nov. 10).
- Wednesday will mark the Lady Flames' 50th contest all-time at Liberty Arena. Liberty is 44-5 at the facility.
- Guard Asia Boone is the three-time reigning CUSA Freshman of the Week (Dec. 4, Dec. 11 & Dec. 18). She has scored in double figures in four of five December outings and is averaging 14.4 ppg for the month.
- Guard Emma Hess is coming off a 20-point outing at Richmond on Saturday which saw her knock down five three-pointers. Hess leads the Lady Flames in scoring (12.6 ppg), three-pointers (27) and three-point field goal percentage (38.0).
- Center Bella Smuda has blocked 21 shots in five December games, moving her up to No. 6 nationally with 34 rejections this season. Smuda's next block will be No. 148 for her career, moving her into sole possession of fifth place all-time at Liberty.
- Grand Canyon is the 12th opponent in Liberty's first 13 games of the season which has owned a record of .500 or better at the time of meeting. The Lady Flames' opponents have boasted a combined record of 54-19 entering their matchup with Liberty. The Lady Flames have faced the nation's eighth toughest schedule so far in 2023-24, according to the NET rankings as of Dec. 18.
- Liberty is tipping off its longest homestand of the season (four games), which will culminate with its Conference USA debut, Jan. 6 versus Western Kentucky.
- Conversely, Grand Canyon is playing the final contest of a four-game road swing and is looking to improve to 5-0 on the road this season.
- Grand Canyon is the only opponent from Arizona the Lady Flames have ever faced. GCU's men's basketball team recorded a 69-64 victory at Liberty Arena on Dec. 9.
- Liberty's Carey Green and GCU's Molly Miller have combined to win 74.6 percent of the games they have coached all-time. Green won career game No. 550 on Dec. 1 versus James Madison, while Miller is going for her 250th win Wednesday. Green is 1-0 coaching against Miller.
- GCU is the WAC preseason favorite. Through Sunday, CUSA teams were 5-3 versus WAC opponents this season.
- Asia Boone has been named Conference USA Freshman of the Week for each of the last three weeks (Dec. 4, Dec. 11 & Dec. 18).
- Boone is the first CUSA player to win this award three times in a row since WKU's Mya Meredith claimed four consecutive honors between Jan. 3-24, 2022.
- The last Lady Flame to win her conference's freshman of the week award three straight times was Keyen Green (4 straight Big South honors between Feb. 6-27, 2017).
- Liberty has claimed four of six CUSA Freshman of the Week notations this season, also including Elisabeth Aegisdottir's recognition on Nov. 13.
- Liberty is 4-0 all-time versus WAC opponents, including 1-0 vs. Grand Canyon, 1-0 vs. Kansas City, 1-0 vs. Stephen F. Austin and 1-0 vs. UTRGV.
- Wednesday will mark the first time the Lady Flames have ever hosted a WAC opponent in Lynchburg.
- Liberty is seeking its second WAC win of the season after prevailing 84-81 in overtime at Stephen F. Austin in its first road contest of the year, Nov. 10.
- Previously, the Lady Flames posted a 68-44 win at Kansas City at the Roo Holiday Classic on Dec. 21, 2019. They then recorded back-to-back wins over WAC foes at the South Padre Island Classic on Dec. 17-18, 2021, defeating Grand Canyon 76-61 and topping tournament host UTRGV by a 54-32 count.
- Wednesday's matinee will be the Lady Flames' 50th game at Liberty Arena, which opened in time for the 2020-21 season. Liberty is 44-5 at the facility, including 2-2 in 2023-24.
- The Lady Flames have lost their last two home games, marking their first-ever back-to-back setbacks at Liberty Arena. Immediately prior to that, Liberty had posted a facility-record 16-game home winning streak.
- The Lady Flames have not dropped three straight at home since the first three home contests of the 2019-20 season.
Players Mentioned
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