Thursday, February 13
Lynchburg, Va.
7:00 PM ET
Liberty University
17-6,10-2CUSA
63
vs
58
New Mexico State
12-12,5-6CUSA
1
2
3
4
F
New Mexico St.
16
15
6
21
58
Liberty
15
15
15
18
63
Emmy Stout scored a team-high 14 points during Thursday's victory over New Mexico State.
Liberty Pulls Out Gritty 63-58 Win Over New Mexico State
2/13/2025 11:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty ran its home winning streak to 10 Thursday evening vs. New Mexico State, but it was anything but easy. The Lady Flames needed a late 9-0 run to pull out a 63-58 victory in a back-and-forth contest with the Aggies.
The Lady Flames improve to 17-6 overall and 10-2 in CUSA play, giving them 26 consecutive seasons with 10 or more conference wins. Liberty, which completed a season sweep of New Mexico State and moved to 5-0 all-time against the Aggies, shot 86.4 percent (19-of-22) from the free throw line, including 91.7 percent (11-of-12) during the final period.
New Mexico State drops to 12-12 overall and 5-6 in conference action despite another big night from CUSA's leading scorer Molly Kaiser (25 points). The Aggies led 50-48 midway through the fourth quarter before going more than four minutes between made field goals.
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Emmy Stout – 14 points, 5-6 FG; Asia Boone – 12 points, 4 rebounds, 6-6 FT; Emma Hess – 10 points, 3 assists, 2-6 3FG; Bella Smuda – 8 points, 3 rebounds; Elisabeth Aegisdottir – 7 points, 6 rebounds, 4-4 FT.
New Mexico State Individuals: Kaiser – 25 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 9-11 FT; Sylena Peterson – 11 points; Jaila Harding – 9 points, 3 assists, 2-5 3FG.
Key Team Stats: Liberty's free throw proficiency helped offset a below-average outing from the field (42.6 percent, 20-of-47 on field goals and 30.8 percent, 4-of-13 on three-pointers). New Mexico State shot 38.2 percent (21-of-55) from the field, 17.6 percent (3-of-17) from three-point range and 72.2 percent (13-of-18) from the line. Liberty enjoyed slight edges in rebounds (32-31), points in the paint (30-28), second-chance points (14-11) and bench points (22-18).
Turning Point
Sylena Peterson's layup with 5:13 left in the fourth quarter gave New Mexico State what turned out to be its final lead of the game at 50-48.
Asia Boone, who had scored only two points during the game's first 35 minutes, tallied 10 during the last five.
The standout sophomore notched six of Liberty's points during their 9-0 run which put the home team on top for good.
The Lady Flames then shot six-of-six from the free throw line, including four connections by Boone, to hold off New Mexico State.
Game Summary
First Quarter
The Lady Flames will host UTEP (9-13, 2-9 CUSA) for Senior Day, Saturday at 2 p.m. Seniors Jordan Hodges, Caroline Shiery, Emily Howard, Anna Badosa, Emma Hess and Bella Smuda will be recognized during a postgame ceremony. The game will be televised on ESPN+.
The Lady Flames improve to 17-6 overall and 10-2 in CUSA play, giving them 26 consecutive seasons with 10 or more conference wins. Liberty, which completed a season sweep of New Mexico State and moved to 5-0 all-time against the Aggies, shot 86.4 percent (19-of-22) from the free throw line, including 91.7 percent (11-of-12) during the final period.
New Mexico State drops to 12-12 overall and 5-6 in conference action despite another big night from CUSA's leading scorer Molly Kaiser (25 points). The Aggies led 50-48 midway through the fourth quarter before going more than four minutes between made field goals.
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Emmy Stout – 14 points, 5-6 FG; Asia Boone – 12 points, 4 rebounds, 6-6 FT; Emma Hess – 10 points, 3 assists, 2-6 3FG; Bella Smuda – 8 points, 3 rebounds; Elisabeth Aegisdottir – 7 points, 6 rebounds, 4-4 FT.
New Mexico State Individuals: Kaiser – 25 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 9-11 FT; Sylena Peterson – 11 points; Jaila Harding – 9 points, 3 assists, 2-5 3FG.
Key Team Stats: Liberty's free throw proficiency helped offset a below-average outing from the field (42.6 percent, 20-of-47 on field goals and 30.8 percent, 4-of-13 on three-pointers). New Mexico State shot 38.2 percent (21-of-55) from the field, 17.6 percent (3-of-17) from three-point range and 72.2 percent (13-of-18) from the line. Liberty enjoyed slight edges in rebounds (32-31), points in the paint (30-28), second-chance points (14-11) and bench points (22-18).
Turning Point
Sylena Peterson's layup with 5:13 left in the fourth quarter gave New Mexico State what turned out to be its final lead of the game at 50-48.
Asia Boone, who had scored only two points during the game's first 35 minutes, tallied 10 during the last five.
The standout sophomore notched six of Liberty's points during their 9-0 run which put the home team on top for good.
The Lady Flames then shot six-of-six from the free throw line, including four connections by Boone, to hold off New Mexico State.
Game Summary
First Quarter
- New Mexico State emerged with a 16-15 lead after a first quarter which included two ties and three lead changes. Kaiser and Hess matched each other with seven points during the opening stanza.
- After scoring the first quarter's final three points, New Mexico State opened the second period with six points in a row. The visitors went ahead 22-15 after Lucia Yenes' second straight layup.
- The Aggies became the first visiting team to lead at Liberty Arena (31-30) since the home opener vs. Duke, led by Kaiser. She scored New Mexico State's final nine points of the half, giving her 16 during the first 20 minutes.
- Smuda scored six points during Liberty's 8-0 run to begin the third quarter.
- For the period, Liberty outscored the Aggies 15-6, taking a 45-37 advantage into the final stanza.
- The Lady Flames held Kaiser scoreless during the third period as her team shot just 16.7 percent (2-of-12).
- Liberty did not make a field goal for 5:32 to begin the fourth quarter. That allowed the Aggies to outscore the Lady Flames 11-1 to start off the period.
- But Liberty's aforementioned 9-0 run put the Lady Flames over the top, and the home team connected on 11 straight free throw attempts to close out the triumph.
- Stout's 14 points were her most since she went for 23 during her collegiate debut against Randolph on Dec. 11.
- Ten of Boone's 12 points came during the game's final 4:58.
- Smuda had just three rebounds on the night but was able to leapfrog former teammate Mya Berkman for sixth place in program history. Playing in her 150th consecutive game to begin her collegiate career, Smuda now has 924 boards to her credit.
- Liberty has recorded its fourth home winning streak of 10+ contests in five years of playing at Liberty Arena. The Lady Flames' 10-1 home record this season makes them 62-9 all-time at the facility.
- The Lady Flames' 26 consecutive seasons of recording double-digit conference victories spans three conferences (Big South, ASUN and CUSA). They are 348-66 in conference play during that span, which began with Carey Green's first season (1999-2000).
- Liberty improved to 14-0 this season when winning the rebounding battle.
- Thursday marked the first time this season that Liberty has won when trailing after the first quarter (previously 0-6), when trailing at halftime (previously 0-4) and when trailing with 5:00 to play in the game (previously 0-5).
- The Lady Flames are now 5-2 in games decided by 10 points or fewer this season.
- Liberty has outscored its opponent in bench points in 18 of 23 games this year, and Thursday (Emmy Stout – 14) marked the second game in a row a reserve led the team in scoring. Pien Steenbergen tallied a team-high 15 points Saturday at Sam Houston.
The Lady Flames will host UTEP (9-13, 2-9 CUSA) for Senior Day, Saturday at 2 p.m. Seniors Jordan Hodges, Caroline Shiery, Emily Howard, Anna Badosa, Emma Hess and Bella Smuda will be recognized during a postgame ceremony. The game will be televised on ESPN+.
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Team Stats
NMSU
Lib
FG%
.382
.426
3FG%
.176
.308
FT%
.722
.864
RB
31
32
TO
10
13
STL
6
4
Game Leaders
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
12
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballC
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballC
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