.png&width=100&height=100&type=webp)
Sunday, January 4
El Paso, Texas
2:00 PM ET/12:00 PM MT
Liberty University
8-5,2-0CUSA
86
at
66
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
UTEP
9-4,1-1CUSA
1
2
3
4
F
Liberty
22
16
25
23
86
UTEP
9
21
21
15
66
Claudia Acin scored a career-high 20 points and dished out a game-high seven assists on Sunday at UTEP.
Fast Start Fuels Liberty’s 86-66 Win at UTEP
1/4/2026 4:55:00 PM | Women's Basketball
EL PASO, Texas – Liberty raced out to a 15-2 advantage to begin Sunday's matinee at UTEP and never looked back. The Lady Flames posted an impressive 86-66 victory at the Don Haskins Center, setting season highs for points, three-pointers (12) and assists (22).
Liberty is now 8-5 overall and has opened CUSA play at 2-0 for the first time in its three seasons of conference membership. The Lady Flames never trailed, led by the backcourt duo of Avery Mills (22 points, career-high six triples) and Claudia Acin (career-high 20 points, game-high seven assists).
UTEP, which entered with the best overall record among CUSA teams, drops to 9-4 overall and 1-1 in conference action. The Miners lost for just the second time in 10 home games this season and fall to 0-5 all-time against the Lady Flames. Center Ndack Mbengue, who had scored 26 points during a Friday win over Delaware, was held without a field goal, and the Miners' 18 turnovers turned into 17 Liberty points.
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Mills – 22 points, 5 rebounds, 6-8 3FG; Acin – 20 points, 7 assists, 3 steals, 4-5 3FG; Emmy Stout – 16 points, 6 rebounds; Ify Nwaobi – 11 points, 7 rebounds; Elisabeth Aegisdottir – 8 points, 5 rebounds; JaKayla Thompson – 5 rebounds, 6 assists.
UTEP Individuals: Portia Adams – 17 points, 7-8 FT; Mary Moses Amaniyo – 14 points, 10 rebounds; Heaven Samayoa-Mathis – 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists.
Key Team Stats: Liberty shot 48.4 percent (31-of-64) from the field, 50 percent (12-of-24) from three-point range and 66.7 percent (12-of-18) from the foul line. Conversely, UTEP was 32.3 percent (20-of-62) from the floor and 21.1 percent (4-of-19) from long range. The Miners were lights out from the free throw line, going 22 of 24 for 91.7 percent. UTEP had the upper hand in rebounds (41-39) and bench points (28-9), but Liberty controlled most other categories. The Lady Flames outscored the Miners inside the paint, 38-26, and nearly tripled their hosts in assists (22-8).
Turning Point
After finishing Friday's 67-62 win at New Mexico State with a 30-point fourth quarter, Liberty picked right up where it left off.
The Lady Flames kept UTEP off the scoreboard for 3:38 to start the contest and jumped out to a 15-2 lead during the first four and a half minutes of play.
Mills scored eight straight Liberty points to close out the game-opening burst, including back-to-back triples which made it 15-2.
The Lady Flames' lead never got smaller than six points the rest of the way.
Notes and Nuggets
Liberty will prepare for its CUSA home opener, Thursday vs. Sam Houston (8-4, 1-0 CUSA). Tipoff has been moved up two hours to 5 p.m. at Liberty Arena, and the game will air on ESPN+.
Liberty is now 8-5 overall and has opened CUSA play at 2-0 for the first time in its three seasons of conference membership. The Lady Flames never trailed, led by the backcourt duo of Avery Mills (22 points, career-high six triples) and Claudia Acin (career-high 20 points, game-high seven assists).
UTEP, which entered with the best overall record among CUSA teams, drops to 9-4 overall and 1-1 in conference action. The Miners lost for just the second time in 10 home games this season and fall to 0-5 all-time against the Lady Flames. Center Ndack Mbengue, who had scored 26 points during a Friday win over Delaware, was held without a field goal, and the Miners' 18 turnovers turned into 17 Liberty points.
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Mills – 22 points, 5 rebounds, 6-8 3FG; Acin – 20 points, 7 assists, 3 steals, 4-5 3FG; Emmy Stout – 16 points, 6 rebounds; Ify Nwaobi – 11 points, 7 rebounds; Elisabeth Aegisdottir – 8 points, 5 rebounds; JaKayla Thompson – 5 rebounds, 6 assists.
UTEP Individuals: Portia Adams – 17 points, 7-8 FT; Mary Moses Amaniyo – 14 points, 10 rebounds; Heaven Samayoa-Mathis – 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists.
Key Team Stats: Liberty shot 48.4 percent (31-of-64) from the field, 50 percent (12-of-24) from three-point range and 66.7 percent (12-of-18) from the foul line. Conversely, UTEP was 32.3 percent (20-of-62) from the floor and 21.1 percent (4-of-19) from long range. The Miners were lights out from the free throw line, going 22 of 24 for 91.7 percent. UTEP had the upper hand in rebounds (41-39) and bench points (28-9), but Liberty controlled most other categories. The Lady Flames outscored the Miners inside the paint, 38-26, and nearly tripled their hosts in assists (22-8).
Turning Point
After finishing Friday's 67-62 win at New Mexico State with a 30-point fourth quarter, Liberty picked right up where it left off.
The Lady Flames kept UTEP off the scoreboard for 3:38 to start the contest and jumped out to a 15-2 lead during the first four and a half minutes of play.
Mills scored eight straight Liberty points to close out the game-opening burst, including back-to-back triples which made it 15-2.
The Lady Flames' lead never got smaller than six points the rest of the way.
Notes and Nuggets
- Mills followed up a career-high 25-point effort on Friday with 22 more on Sunday. She scored 35 points and tallied nine triples between Friday's second half and Sunday's first 20 minutes.
- Mills hit a career-best six triples, the most by a Lady Flame since current assistant Emma Hess made six during the 2024-25 season opener at Valparaiso.
- Mills has now made 43 three-pointers this season, eclipsing her season total of 42 from a year ago. She ranks 19th in program history with 85 triples, less than halfway through her sophomore campaign.
- Acin's 20 points eclipsed her previous career high of 17, with 15 coming after halftime.
- Liberty had a pair of 20-point scorers in the same game for the second time this season. Mills and Stout previously did so at George Mason.
- Stout (16 points) reached double digits for the third straight game and the 11th time in 13 games this year.
- Meanwhile, fellow post Nwaobi (11 points) scored in double figures for the second time in her young career and led the team with her seven boards.
- Thompson's six assists matched her career high.
- Liberty played away from home for the seventh time in the last eight games. The Lady Flames finished that challenging stretch 5-2.
- The Lady Flames have won eight straight January games dating back to last season and are 262-131 all-time during the month.
- Liberty has been victorious in its last five Texas tilts, improving to 8-10 all-time in the Lone Star State.
Liberty will prepare for its CUSA home opener, Thursday vs. Sam Houston (8-4, 1-0 CUSA). Tipoff has been moved up two hours to 5 p.m. at Liberty Arena, and the game will air on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Lib
UTEP
FG%
.484
.323
3FG%
.500
.211
FT%
.667
.917
RB
39
41
TO
14
18
STL
10
4
Game Leaders
Pts
22
FGM
7
3FGM
6
FTM
2
Pts
20
FGM
7
3FGM
4
FTM
2
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
11
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballC
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballLiberty Women's Basketball Show with Alexis Sherard and Paul Carmany (1-2-26)
Friday, January 02
Liberty Women's Basketball Show with Alexis, Iyana and Elijah Sherard (12-19-25)
Saturday, December 20
Liberty Women's Basketball Show with Alexis Sherard and Emmy Stout (12-5-25)
Friday, December 19
Liberty Women's Basketball Show with Alexis Sherard and Avery Mills (12-12-25)
Friday, December 19