WBB Game Day: Middle Tennessee

Game Day Coverage

Liberty Storylines

Liberty (14-12, 8-7 CUSA) will tip off its three-game homestand to close the regular season with a Thursday rematch of the last two CUSA title games against Middle Tennessee (14-12, 9-5 CUSA).
The Lady Flames defeated the Blue Raiders in the 2025 CUSA title contest. However, Middle Tennessee owns a 5-2 edge in the head-to-head series, including its 63-54 home win over Liberty on Jan. 23.
Liberty is 5-2 this month, fueled by a strong defense. The Lady Flames are allowing only 52.9 ppg in February, including 47.3 ppg during their current three-game home winning streak.
CUSA leading rebounder Ify Nwaobi (9.7 rpg) is averaging a double-double (10.0 ppg, 10.1 rpg) this month, with three of her four double-doubles coming in February. The redshirt freshman missed Liberty's first meeting with Middle Tennessee due to injury and is in line to face the Blue Raiders for the first time on Thursday.
Elisabeth Aegisdottir is the only returning starter on either team from last season's CUSA title tilt. She posted 12 points and 11 rebounds at Middle Tennessee last month for the junior's first career double-double.

Notes and Anecdotes

Liberty and Middle Tennessee have squared off in each of the last two CUSA title games. It has never happened that the same teams have met in three straight CUSA championship games.
If the CUSA tournament started today, Liberty and Middle Tennessee would face one another in the quarterfinals (regardless of Tuesday's Sam Houston-Missouri State result).
Liberty has gone 2-0 in CUSA play vs. an opponent 14 times (including vs. Missouri State, New Mexico State and UTEP this season), while going 0-2 only twice (vs. MTSU in 2023-24 and vs. FIU this season). The Blue Raiders will be aiming for their second win over the Lady Flames this season.
Liberty has won three straight home games, while Middle Tennessee has dropped three consecutive contests away from Murfreesboro.
61 points (during last season's 61-42 home victory over the Blue Raiders) is the most Liberty has scored in seven all-time meetings with Middle Tennessee.
The Lady Flames need to go 2-1 or better the rest of the way to record a 27th straight season with 10+ conference wins. Meanwhile, the Blue Raiders are one victory away from posting their 23rd consecutive season with double-digit conference victories.

February is for the Flames

Liberty is off to a 5-2 start in its first seven games this month after going 1-5 during its last six January tilts.
During February, the Lady Flames are holding opponents to 52.9 ppg on 33.9 percent field goal shooting. Liberty held three straight opponents below 50 points (UTEP, New Mexico State and Missouri State) for the first time since a three-game stretch spanning Dec. 18, 2021-Jan. 5, 2022.
Individually, Ify Nwaobi is averaging a double-double (10.0 ppg, 10.1 rpg) and 1.7 bpg.

Home Sweet Home

The Lady Flames, who have won each of their last three games at Liberty Arena, will close the regular season with a trio of home contests.
Despite owning a 3-3 record in CUSA home games this year, the Lady Flames are 42-6 all-time in conference games at Liberty Arena, including 24-1 in the ASUN and 18-5 in CUSA.
Liberty is 6-5 at home overall this season, pushing its all-time mark at Liberty Arena to 71-14.

CUSA Checkup

Liberty has been successful during its first three years of CUSA membership, headlined by its regular-season and tournament titles in 2024-25.
The Lady Flames are 40-15 versus CUSA foes over the last three seasons, including 35-14 in conference play, 5-1 in the CUSA Championship, 18-5 at home and 17-9 on the road.

Bombs Away!

Liberty set program records for three-pointers made (267) and three-point field goal percentage (36.9) last season. Despite losing 75.7 percent of their triples from 2024-25, the Lady Flames have been proficient from beyond the arc once again this year.
Liberty tops CUSA and ranks No. 35 nationally for three-point field goal percentage at 35.1. The Lady Flames have hit the same amount of triples as their opponents this season (169) on 81 fewer attempts.

Schedule