Saturday, November 9
Lynchburg, Va.
7:00 PM ET
Liberty University
2-1,0-0CUSA
72
vs
44
California Baptist
0-2,0-0WAC
1
2
3
4
F
California Baptist
8
5
16
15
44
Liberty
21
19
16
16
72
Bella Smuda records one of her four blocked shots on the evening.
Liberty Stymies Defending WAC Champion CBU, 72-44
11/9/2024 10:21:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LYNCHBURG, Va. – California Baptist averaged 80.3 ppg last season on its way to a 28-win campaign and WAC title. The Lancers managed barely half that many points during their first-ever visit to Liberty Arena, Saturday evening, as Liberty recorded a dominating 72-44 victory.
Led by the inside-outside duo of Bella Smuda (10 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks) and Asia Boone (16 points, 3 steals, 3-7 3FG), Liberty finishes a busy opening week of the 2024-25 season at 2-1.
CBU opens a season at 0-2 for the first time since 1993-94 after shooting just 28.8 percent (17-of-59) from the field, 17.2 percent (5-of-29) from three-point range and 50 percent (5-of-10) from the foul line. The Lancers were held below 50 points for the first time since Feb. 1, 2020, an 83-49 loss to Seattle U.
Box Score Highlights
Other Liberty Individuals: Pien Steenbergen – 8 points, 3 steals; Caroline Shiery – 7 points, 5 rebounds; Emma Hess – 7 points, 5 rebounds.
CBU Individuals: Nhug Bosch Duran – 13 points, 3 steals, 3-8 3FG; Sydney White – 7 points.
Key Team Stats: Liberty ended up at 40 percent (24-of-60) from the floor and 31.8 percent (7-of-22) from beyond the arc. The Lady Flames got to the foul line 18 more times than the Lancers, connecting on 17-of-28 for 60.7 percent. Liberty dominated in the rebounding category, 52-33, turning 16 offensive boards into 19 second-chance points. The Lady Flames scored 22 points off CBU's 19 turnovers and tallied 27 bench points with 12 different players getting their names into the scoring column.
Turning Point
After the two teams traded hoops during the first few minutes of Saturday's contest, Liberty broke the game open with a 21-3 run that stretched into the second quarter.
Asia Boone contributed 11 points and three triples to the extended surge, which expanded the Lady Flames' lead from 6-5 to 27-8, a minute into the second period.
Liberty's advantage remained at 15 points or larger the rest of the night.
Game Summary
First Quarter
The Lady Flames will play their next three contests on the road, starting off with a Nov. 16 visit to Tennessee (2-0). Tipoff is scheduled for noon at the Food City Center, and the contest will be televised on SEC Network+.
Led by the inside-outside duo of Bella Smuda (10 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks) and Asia Boone (16 points, 3 steals, 3-7 3FG), Liberty finishes a busy opening week of the 2024-25 season at 2-1.
CBU opens a season at 0-2 for the first time since 1993-94 after shooting just 28.8 percent (17-of-59) from the field, 17.2 percent (5-of-29) from three-point range and 50 percent (5-of-10) from the foul line. The Lancers were held below 50 points for the first time since Feb. 1, 2020, an 83-49 loss to Seattle U.
Box Score Highlights
Other Liberty Individuals: Pien Steenbergen – 8 points, 3 steals; Caroline Shiery – 7 points, 5 rebounds; Emma Hess – 7 points, 5 rebounds.
CBU Individuals: Nhug Bosch Duran – 13 points, 3 steals, 3-8 3FG; Sydney White – 7 points.
Key Team Stats: Liberty ended up at 40 percent (24-of-60) from the floor and 31.8 percent (7-of-22) from beyond the arc. The Lady Flames got to the foul line 18 more times than the Lancers, connecting on 17-of-28 for 60.7 percent. Liberty dominated in the rebounding category, 52-33, turning 16 offensive boards into 19 second-chance points. The Lady Flames scored 22 points off CBU's 19 turnovers and tallied 27 bench points with 12 different players getting their names into the scoring column.
Turning Point
After the two teams traded hoops during the first few minutes of Saturday's contest, Liberty broke the game open with a 21-3 run that stretched into the second quarter.
Asia Boone contributed 11 points and three triples to the extended surge, which expanded the Lady Flames' lead from 6-5 to 27-8, a minute into the second period.
Liberty's advantage remained at 15 points or larger the rest of the night.
Game Summary
First Quarter
- Sparked by Boone's 10 points, Liberty outscored CBU 21-8 during the first quarter.
- The Lady Flames outrebounded the Lancers by a 13-4 count and racked up 10 fast break points.
- Liberty held CBU without a point for the final 7:25 of the opening half, outscoring the visitors 12-0 during that time. As a result, the Lady Flames took a 40-13 advantage into the intermission.
- Boone finished with 14 first-half points for the Lady Flames, while CBU shot just 21.7 percent (5-of-23) and committed 12 turnovers during the first 20 minutes.
- The two teams scored 16 points apiece during the third quarter, leaving Liberty with a 56-29 lead heading to the final period.
- The visitors played their best quarter of the game, getting seven points from Bosch Duran and scoring six points off Liberty's six turnovers.
- Caroline Shiery came off the bench for a seven-point, five-rebound fourth quarter, helping Liberty outscore CBU, 16-15, and wrap up a 28-point decision.
- Boone (16 points) paced Liberty in scoring for the second game in a row despite playing only 23 minutes (the most of any Lady Flame in Saturday's contest).
- Smuda (10 points, game-high 12 rebounds) fashioned her first double-double of the season and the 21st of her career. She overtook Sharon Snodgrass for 13th place on Liberty's career scoring list with 1,178 points.
- Shiery's seven points and five rebounds came in only seven minutes of playing time, and her scoring output eclipsed her previous career high of six.
- Emma Soldis notched the first two points of her collegiate career on a pair of fourth-quarter free throws.
- The Lady Flames' 28-point margin of victory was their largest since Feb. 17, 2024 (86-56 home win over Sam Houston).
- Liberty improves to 6-0 all-time against WAC opponents with a win in its inaugural meeting with CBU.
- The Lady Flames, who hosted a California opponent in Lynchburg for the first time in program history, defeated a team from California for the first time since Nov. 21, 2008 (UC Riverside).
- After playing three games in six days to tip off the season, Liberty will only play twice in the next 17 days.
The Lady Flames will play their next three contests on the road, starting off with a Nov. 16 visit to Tennessee (2-0). Tipoff is scheduled for noon at the Food City Center, and the contest will be televised on SEC Network+.
Team Stats
CBU
Lib
FG%
.288
.400
3FG%
.172
.318
FT%
.500
.607
RB
33
52
TO
19
17
STL
12
10
Game Leaders
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
3
FTM
1
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
8
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's BasketballC
/ Women's BasketballF
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