Friday, November 7
Lynchburg, Va.
2:00 PM ET
Liberty University
2-0,0-0CUSA
69
vs
53
East Carolina
1-1,0-0American
1
2
3
4
F
East Carolina
11
22
6
14
53
Liberty
19
15
23
12
69
Avery Mills posted her first career double-double (21 points, 10 rebounds).
Backcourt, 17-0 Run Key Liberty’s 69-53 Triumph Over ECU
11/7/2025 7:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Career games by Liberty's starting backcourt of Avery Mills (career-high 21 points, career-high 10 rebounds) and Claudia Acin (career-high 17 points, career-high seven assists) and a 17-0 third quarter run keyed the Lady Flames' 69-53 victory over East Carolina, Friday afternoon at Liberty Arena.
Liberty is 2-0 to start Alexis Sherard's first season as head coach after recording its second victory over an American Conference opponent in program history (both home wins over ECU). The Lady Flames shot well from the field (53.3 percent, 24-of-45) and three-point range (55.6 percent, 10-of-18) to overcome 25 turnovers.
ECU's record evens at 1-1 after a cold shooting performance. The Pirates finished at 27 percent (17-of-63) from the floor and 14.8 percent (4-of-27) from beyond the arc.
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Mills – 21 points, 10 rebounds, 5-7 3FG; Acin – 17 points, 7 assists, 1 turnover, 5-5 3FG; Emmy Stout – 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, 6-11 FG; Ify Nwaobi – 5 points, 7 rebounds.
East Carolina Individuals: Anzhane Hutton – 13 points, 6 rebounds; Savannah Brooks – 11 points; Kennedy Fauntleroy – 10 points, 4 steals.
Key Team Stats: Liberty won the rebounding battle, 41-31. Despite ECU doubling up the Lady Flames in offensive rebounds (16-8), Liberty had one more second-chance point than the Pirates (11-10). ECU tallied 24 points off Liberty's 25 turnovers. The Lady Flames tallied 19 assists on 24 made field goals. East Carolina had 12 bench points to six for the Lady Flames.
Turning Point
East Carolina, which trailed by as many as 14 points in the second quarter, roared back to briefly take a 35-34 advantage on Hutton's layup 23 seconds into the third.
However, the Pirates only made two more field goals during the stanza.
Liberty's aforementioned 17-0 run ballooned the Lady Flames' lead from 40-37 to 57-37 and came during a 7:18 scoring drought for the visitors. Acin and Mills each hit triples during the surge, and Mills' free throws at the 32-second mark of the third quarter closed it out.
Liberty's lead stayed at 14 points or more the rest of the afternoon.
Notes and Nuggets
The Lady Flames will prepare for their first road game of the season, Wednesday at James Madison. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Atlantic Union Bank Center, and the contest will air on ESPN+.
Liberty is 2-0 to start Alexis Sherard's first season as head coach after recording its second victory over an American Conference opponent in program history (both home wins over ECU). The Lady Flames shot well from the field (53.3 percent, 24-of-45) and three-point range (55.6 percent, 10-of-18) to overcome 25 turnovers.
ECU's record evens at 1-1 after a cold shooting performance. The Pirates finished at 27 percent (17-of-63) from the floor and 14.8 percent (4-of-27) from beyond the arc.
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Mills – 21 points, 10 rebounds, 5-7 3FG; Acin – 17 points, 7 assists, 1 turnover, 5-5 3FG; Emmy Stout – 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, 6-11 FG; Ify Nwaobi – 5 points, 7 rebounds.
East Carolina Individuals: Anzhane Hutton – 13 points, 6 rebounds; Savannah Brooks – 11 points; Kennedy Fauntleroy – 10 points, 4 steals.
Key Team Stats: Liberty won the rebounding battle, 41-31. Despite ECU doubling up the Lady Flames in offensive rebounds (16-8), Liberty had one more second-chance point than the Pirates (11-10). ECU tallied 24 points off Liberty's 25 turnovers. The Lady Flames tallied 19 assists on 24 made field goals. East Carolina had 12 bench points to six for the Lady Flames.
Turning Point
East Carolina, which trailed by as many as 14 points in the second quarter, roared back to briefly take a 35-34 advantage on Hutton's layup 23 seconds into the third.
However, the Pirates only made two more field goals during the stanza.
Liberty's aforementioned 17-0 run ballooned the Lady Flames' lead from 40-37 to 57-37 and came during a 7:18 scoring drought for the visitors. Acin and Mills each hit triples during the surge, and Mills' free throws at the 32-second mark of the third quarter closed it out.
Liberty's lead stayed at 14 points or more the rest of the afternoon.
Notes and Nuggets
- Mills' first career double-double (team-high 21 points, team-high 10 rebounds) saw her eclipse her previous highs of 19 points and five boards. The sophomore also tied her career high of five triples.
- Mills hit both of her free throw attempts, extending her streak to 20 in a row dating back to last season. Mills, who has not missed from the line since Nov. 16, 2024 at Tennessee, is the first Lady Flame to make 20 in a row since Emily Lytle, who connected on a program-record 34 foul shots in a row in 2020.
- Acin pushed her career scoring high from nine to 17 and her career high for triples from three to five. After totaling a dozen three-pointers during her first two seasons, Acin has hit eight through this year's first two contests.
- Acin's 5-of-5 performance from the arc makes her the first Lady Flame to go 5-of-5 or better in a contest since March 5, 2019, when KK Barbour nailed all five of her triple tries against North Alabama.
- Stout (15 points) has reached double digits in back-to-back games to open her sophomore season and in three straight contests overall dating back to 2024-25.
- Liberty improves to 2-6 all-time against American opponents (at time of meeting).
- The Lady Flames' only previous triumph over ECU was similar to Friday's contest. That day (Dec. 3, 2019), host Liberty topped the Pirates 81-66 despite committing 31 turnovers.
- Liberty has now won 15 straight contests at Liberty Arena, just one shy of its longest winning streak at the facility (16 games, Nov. 10, 2022-Dec. 1, 2023).
The Lady Flames will prepare for their first road game of the season, Wednesday at James Madison. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Atlantic Union Bank Center, and the contest will air on ESPN+.
Team Stats
ECU
Lib
FG%
.270
.533
3FG%
.148
.556
FT%
.714
.688
RB
31
41
TO
14
25
STL
7
9
Game Leaders
Pts
21
FGM
7
3FGM
5
FTM
2
Pts
17
FGM
6
3FGM
5
FTM
0
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
5
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
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