WBB Game Day: Louisiana Tech

Game Day Coverage

Liberty Storylines

Liberty (9-5, 2-1 CUSA) will welcome Louisiana Tech (9-5, 2-1) to Liberty Arena for a Saturday matchup between two of the top teams in the CUSA standings.
Liberty won a pair of close games against Louisiana Tech last season, including the Lady Flames' first-ever CUSA victory (66-59 home win on Jan. 13, 2024).
The Lady Flames have won five straight contests at Liberty Arena, improving to 57-9 all-time at the facility. Liberty is 31-3 in conference games at Liberty Arena, including 7-2 in CUSA action.
After scoring a game-high 19 points during Thursday's 69-54 triumph over Sam Houston, Emma Hess needs 17 more to become Liberty's 22nd 1,000-point scorer. No Lady Flame has hit the milestone at home since Keyen Green on Jan. 11, 2020. Hess has scored 43 points in her last three halves of basketball against LA Tech.
Bella Smuda scored her 1,000th point the last time Liberty faced LA Tech (58-53 victory in Ruston on Feb. 10, 2024). She finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and six blocked shots on Thursday vs. Sam Houston. That marked Smuda's 23rd career double-double and saw the senior equal her career high and her own Liberty Arena single-game record for blocked shots.

Notes and Anecdotes

Liberty and Louisiana Tech are part of a three-way tie for second place (along with FIU) in the CUSA standings, one game behind conference leader Middle Tennessee.
Five of the six players who have earned CUSA Freshman of the Week honors this season play for either LA Tech (Isla Airey, Paris Bradley and Jordan Marshall) or Liberty (Avery Mills and Emmy Stout). Last year, Liberty and LA Tech combined for 14 of the 18 CUSA Freshman of the Week awards.
The Lady Techsters' only previous visit to Liberty Arena was a memorable game for Liberty. The Lady Flames rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to claim their inaugural CUSA victory, 66-59. Emma Hess scored all 14 of her points after halftime to spearhead Liberty's successful comeback.
Liberty has won five straight home games, while the Lady Techsters have dropped four consecutive road contests. Liberty has not dropped a home tilt since Nov. 7 (vs. Duke), the same day LA Tech picked up its only road win of the season (at South Alabama).
Liberty (17 appearances) and LA Tech (27 appearances) have been regular NCAA Tournament participants over the years, with the Lady Techsters winning a pair of national titles (1982 and 1988). But Liberty is trying to get back to the NCAA for the first time since 2018 and the Lady Techsters are seeking their first NCAA appearance since 2011.

Countdown to 1,000

After scoring a game-high 19 points during Thursday's win over Sam Houston, Emma Hess is just 17 away from becoming Liberty's 22nd 1,000-point scorer.
Five Lady Flames have joined the 1,000-point club since the start of the 2020-21 season. However, it has been five years (to the day) since a Liberty player reached the milestone at home. Keyen Green tallied her 1,000th point during a Jan. 11, 2020 victory over Jacksonville at the Vines Center.
Hess is bidding to become the first Lady Flame to score point No. 1,000 at Liberty Arena.

Schedule