WBB Game Day: Bellarmine
2/21/2023 9:50:28 AM | 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
Bellarmine Women’s Basketball Webpage
ASUN Women’s Basketball Webpage
Game Time:
Thursday – 7 p.m.
TV Coverage:
ESPN+
Play-By-Play Broadcaster:Â Kyle West
Color Analyst:Â Kelley Deyo
Radio Coverage:
Liberty Flames Sports Network – Radio
WQLU 90.9 FM The Light
Play-By-Play Broadcaster:Â Jamie Hall
Liberty’s Top Storylines
• Liberty (19-7, 13-2 ASUN) will host Bellarmine (8-20, 4-11 ASUN) Thursday at Liberty Arena for the teams' first of two meetings over the next seven days.
• The Lady Flames are 4-0 all-time against Bellarmine, with all four contests taking place away from Lynchburg.
• Liberty will look to continue a pair of winning streaks (11 games overall, 10 home games) and record its 22nd 20-win season in the last 27 years. Meanwhile, Bellarmine hopes to snap a 27-game road losing streak.
• Mya Berkman leads the Lady Flames in scoring (14.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.2 rpg), while pacing the nation in field goal percentage (69.5). She recorded her ninth double-double of the season (16 points, 11 rebounds) during Saturday's 77-60 Senior Night win over Queens. Berkman has scored in double figures all four times she has faced Bellarmine.
• Fellow center Bella Smuda tallied 14 points in 13 minutes on Saturday. She has been efficient and effective against Bellarmine in her career, totaling 50 points, 29 rebounds and eight blocks in 65 total minutes.
Notes and Anecdotes – Liberty vs. Bellarmine
• Liberty will face Bellarmine twice within a seven-day span to close out the regular season, including the Knights' first-ever visit to Lynchburg on Thursday.
• The Lady Flames are 4-0 versus Bellarmine, with three of the four contests taking place in Louisville and one at Kennesaw State.
• Liberty has won 10 straight home games. Meanwhile, Bellarmine is 0-12 on the road this season and has lost 27 consecutive road contests overall. The Knights' last road victory came on Feb. 23, 2021 at North Alabama.
• Liberty's Mya Berkman officially ranks No. 1 in the NCAA for field goal percentage at 69.5. Bellarmine freshman Gracie Merkle is shooting 72.3 percent this season but does not qualify for the NCAA list due to the Knights' current transition period from NCAA Division II to Division I.
• The Lady Flames will try to post their 20th win of the year against Bellarmine for the second straight season. Liberty's 77-52 victory at Bellarmine last year (Feb. 3, 2022) improved the Lady Flames' record to 20-2 at the time.
• Liberty is averaging 5.7 blocks per ASUN contest, pulling its season average up to 5.0. The Lady Flames rank No. 16 nationally in the category and have not averaged this many blocks for a full season since 2011-12 (5.0 blocks/game).
Summarizing the Streak
• Six of the 11 victories during Liberty's current winning streak have come by 10 points or fewer, with two requiring overtime. Six of the wins have come on the road.
• Kennedi Williams has played exceptionally well, averaging 8.3 ppg and a team-high 1.3 spg while posting a 53-to-8 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Liberty has shot well from the field (48.2 percent), three-point range (37.4 percent) and the foul line (79.9 percent) while blocking 6.2 shots per outing.
Home Sweet Home
• The Lady Flames have won 10 consecutive contests at Liberty Arena, improving to 10-1 at home this season and 38-3 all-time at the facility.
• Bellarmine will be making its first-ever visit to Liberty Arena on Thursday.
Ballin' vs. Bellarmine
• Bella Smuda has totaled 50 points, 29 rebounds and eight blocks in 65 total minutes played against Bellarmine for her career. She has scored in double figures in three of four career matchups with the Knights.
• Mya Berkman has reached double digits all four times she has faced Bellarmine, averaging 12.5 ppg on 20-of-30 (66.7 percent) from the field and 10-of-10 from the line.
• Jordan Bailey posted 17 points and six rebounds the only time she played Bellarmine (Feb. 3, 2022).
Featured in Main Photo: #20 Mya Berkman
