Saturday, February 3
Lynchburg, Va.
1:00 PM ET
Liberty University
10-13,5-3CUSA
87
vs
68
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UTEP
8-13,3-5CUSA
1
2
3
4
F
UTEP
13
14
15
26
68
Liberty
21
14
23
29
87
Asia Boone set career highs for points (19) and three-pointers (6) on Saturday.
Inside-Outside Attack Leads Liberty Past UTEP, 87-68
2/3/2024 4:17:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty scored effectively from the perimeter (season-high 11 three-pointers) and inside the paint (career-high 27 points from center Bella Smuda) on Saturday, fueling an 87-68 victory over UTEP inside Liberty Arena.
The Lady Flames (10-13, 5-3 CUSA) never trailed during their three-game homestand and have now won a season-high four straight overall. They tallied a season-high 87 points during Saturday's triumph, also aided by Asia Boone (career-high 19 points, career-high six triples) and Jordan Hodges (Liberty Arena single-game record 10 assists).
UTEP falls to 8-13 overall and 3-5 in CUSA play despite an outstanding 25-point performance from Jane Asinde. The Miners remain winless away from home this season after losing their first-ever matchup with Liberty.
The Lady Flames won their 50th game inside Liberty Arena, which opened in December 2020. Liberty is 50-7 at the facility, including 8-4 this season and 28-2 in conference contests.
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Smuda – 27 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 10-12 FG; Boone – 19 points, 6-11 3FG; Emma Hess – 12 points, 4 assists; Ella Wigal – 10 points, 5 rebounds; Hodges – 4 points, 10 assists, 2 turnovers; Caroline Shiery – 6 points, 6 rebounds.
UTEP Individuals: Asinde – 25 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals; Zhane Thompson – 9 points, 3-5 3FG; Aspen Salazar – 8 points, 4-5 FG.
Key Team Stats: Liberty shot a season-best 57.4 percent (31-of-54) from the field and connected on 47.8 percent (11-of-23) from beyond the arc. Aided by 42 points in the paint, UTEP hit 45 percent (27-of-60) of its field goal attempts but was just 26.7 percent (4-of-15) from long range. The Lady Flames distributed a season-high 24 assists on 31 made field goals and owned a slim 33-30 rebounding edge.
Turning Point
Reminiscent of Thursday's matchup with New Mexico State, Liberty got off to a fast start at the offensive end.
Liberty hit four triples within the game's first three minutes, including three by Boone, racing out to an early 12-1 advantage.
UTEP could never catch the Lady Flames the remainder of the afternoon.
Game Summary
First Quarter
Notes and Nuggets
The Lady Flames will take to the road for a pair of games next week, beginning with a Thursday visit to CUSA-leading Middle Tennessee. The first-ever hardwood meeting between the Lady Flames and Blue Raiders is set for 7:30 p.m. Eastern.
The Lady Flames (10-13, 5-3 CUSA) never trailed during their three-game homestand and have now won a season-high four straight overall. They tallied a season-high 87 points during Saturday's triumph, also aided by Asia Boone (career-high 19 points, career-high six triples) and Jordan Hodges (Liberty Arena single-game record 10 assists).
UTEP falls to 8-13 overall and 3-5 in CUSA play despite an outstanding 25-point performance from Jane Asinde. The Miners remain winless away from home this season after losing their first-ever matchup with Liberty.
The Lady Flames won their 50th game inside Liberty Arena, which opened in December 2020. Liberty is 50-7 at the facility, including 8-4 this season and 28-2 in conference contests.
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Smuda – 27 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 10-12 FG; Boone – 19 points, 6-11 3FG; Emma Hess – 12 points, 4 assists; Ella Wigal – 10 points, 5 rebounds; Hodges – 4 points, 10 assists, 2 turnovers; Caroline Shiery – 6 points, 6 rebounds.
UTEP Individuals: Asinde – 25 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals; Zhane Thompson – 9 points, 3-5 3FG; Aspen Salazar – 8 points, 4-5 FG.
Key Team Stats: Liberty shot a season-best 57.4 percent (31-of-54) from the field and connected on 47.8 percent (11-of-23) from beyond the arc. Aided by 42 points in the paint, UTEP hit 45 percent (27-of-60) of its field goal attempts but was just 26.7 percent (4-of-15) from long range. The Lady Flames distributed a season-high 24 assists on 31 made field goals and owned a slim 33-30 rebounding edge.
Turning Point
Reminiscent of Thursday's matchup with New Mexico State, Liberty got off to a fast start at the offensive end.
Liberty hit four triples within the game's first three minutes, including three by Boone, racing out to an early 12-1 advantage.
UTEP could never catch the Lady Flames the remainder of the afternoon.
Game Summary
First Quarter
- The Lady Flames owned a 21-13 advantage at the end of the opening quarter after hitting five three-pointers total.
- Asinde scored 12 second-quarter points for UTEP, giving her 15 for the opening half.
- However, the Lady Flames matched the Miners point for point and maintained an eight-point lead (35-27) heading to the locker room.
- Sparked by Smuda's 10 points, Liberty shot 75 percent (9-of-12) during a 23-point third period. The host Lady Flames' lead stood at 58-42 through three.
- UTEP shot 55.6 percent (10-of-18) in the final stanza, adding up to 26 points.
- Liberty countered with 29 tallies of its own, including nine more from Smuda, wrapping up a 52-point second half and a 19-point victory. Smuda scored 19 of her 27 points after the intermission.
Notes and Nuggets
- Smuda, who eclipsed her previous career high of 26 points from the Jan. 10 game at Jax State, has recorded back-to-back 20-point outings for the first time in her career. All five of Smuda's 20-point games as a Lady Flame have come this season. Smuda is now within 26 points of becoming the 21st 1,000-point scorer in program history.
- Smuda's two blocked shots give her 56 this season, the most by a Lady Flame since the 2004-05 season when current assistant Katie (Feenstra) Mattera rejected 80 shots as a senior.
- Boone set career highs for points (19) and three-pointers (6). It marked the most triples by a Lady Flame since Emma Hess hit seven at Lipscomb on Jan. 28, 2023.
- Two days after scoring a career-high points, Hodges dished out 10 assists to shatter her previous high of seven. She took down the Liberty Arena record of nine helpers, set by Kennedi Williams on March 5, 2023 vs. Kennesaw State.
- After being held scoreless for the first time this season on Thursday, Hess posted a dozen points for her 30th career game scoring in double digits.
- Wigal (10 points) scored in double figures for the second time in her career and the first since tallying a career-best 11 points at Texas on Nov. 12.
- Shiery matched her career high of six points and grabbed a career-best six rebounds in 11 minutes off the bench. She has now totaled 14 points and 17 rebounds in 29 minutes played over her last five appearances.
- Liberty won its 11th straight February contest, improving to 160-24 during the month under Carey Green.
- The Lady Flames' 87 points bettered their previous season high of 84 from the Nov. 10 win over Stephen F. Austin and a Jan. 20 victory at Sam Houston.
- Liberty is now 151-5 under Green when shooting 50 percent or better from the field, including 3-1 this season.
- On the opposite side of the ball, the Lady Flames have now held 11 straight opponents below 50 percent from the floor.
The Lady Flames will take to the road for a pair of games next week, beginning with a Thursday visit to CUSA-leading Middle Tennessee. The first-ever hardwood meeting between the Lady Flames and Blue Raiders is set for 7:30 p.m. Eastern.
Team Stats
UTEP
Lib
FG%
.450
.574
3FG%
.267
.478
FT%
.556
.778
RB
30
33
TO
9
10
STL
6
1
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
27
FGM
10
3FGM
0
FTM
7
Pts
19
FGM
6
3FGM
6
FTM
1
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballC
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
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