WBB Game Day Central: Longwood
2/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Game Day Central Page
Liberty's Women's Basketball Game Notes
Today's Game
Big South-leading Liberty (19-6, 15-1 Big South) will travel east on Route 460 for a clash with Longwood (3-23, 3-14 Big South) Tuesday at 5 p.m. inside Willett Hall. The Lady Flames have a chance to clinch the No. 1 seed for the Big South Women's Basketball Championship with a victory over the Lancers.
The "Starting Five" - Liberty's Top Storylines
1) If Liberty wins at Longwood, the Lady Flames would clinch a share of their 15th Big South regular-season title in 18 years, earn their eighth straight 20-win season and tie the Big South record for most conference victories in a single season (16).
2) Liberty will attempt to extend several winning streaks on Tuesday. The Lady Flames have won a season-high seven straight games overall, nine consecutive contests against in-state opponents and 12 straight meetings with Longwood.
3) The Lady Flames are ranked No. 15 nationally for rebound margin and have outrebounded 14 consecutive opponents. Liberty's average rebound margin in its last six meetings with Longwood is +28.5.
4) Ashley Rininger is only 15 points away from becoming the 15th 1,000-point scorer in program history. The last Lady Flame to join the 1,000-point club was Devon Brown, on Dec. 7, 2011 at Virginia. Karly Buer scored her 1,000th collegiate point against Campbell on Jan. 24, but 773 of those points came at Missouri State.
5) Jennifer Fairfax has owned the program record for most consecutive free throws made (22) since 1991. However, two current Lady Flames are right on her heels. Karly Buer has hit 21 straight free throws, while Jaymee Fisher-Davis has made 20 in a row.
Liberty vs. Longwood At a Glance
Series History
Series Record: Liberty leads, 19-15.
Current Streak: Liberty has won 12 consecutive meetings.
Series Record at Longwood: Longwood leads, 11-4.
Current Streak at Longwood: Liberty has won four consecutive meetings.
Last Meeting Overall: Liberty 70, Longwood 48 (Jan. 13, 2015 at Liberty)
Last Meeting at Longwood: Liberty 69, Longwood 47 (March 1, 2014 at Longwood)
Longwood's Last Series Victory: Longwood 95, Liberty 88 (Feb. 12, 1988 at Long.)
Longwood's Last Series Victory at Home: Same
Coaching Matchup
Liberty Head Coach: Carey Green
Overall Record (Seasons): 376-127 (16th Season)
Record at Liberty (Seasons): Same
Record vs. Longwood: 11-0
Longwood Head Coach: Bill Reinson
Overall Record (Seasons): 38-103 (Fifth Season)
Record at Longwood (Seasons): Same
Record vs. Liberty: 0-7
Notes and Anecdotes
• Liberty's first seven made field goals were three-pointers, and the Lady Flames went on to hit a season-high 11 triples during their 70-48 home win over Longwood on Jan. 13. Simone Brown (12 points) paced four Lady Flames in double digits, while Raven Williams scored a game-high 18 points for the Lancers.
• Longwood is seeking its first win over Liberty since Feb. 12, 1988, as the Lady Flames have won all 12 head-to-head matchups with their Route 460 foe since gaining NCAA Division I status prior to the 1988-89 season.
• The Lancers have been decimated by injuries this season, including season-ending injuries to leading scorer Daeisha Brown and leading rebounder Khalilah Ali. Raven Williams, a 5-8 junior guard, has stepped up in their absence and is averaging a team-high 13.3 ppg.
• Liberty has outrebounded Longwood by an average of 28.5 boards per game during the teams' last six meetings. The Lady Flames owned a 62-23 rebounding advantage during the Jan. 5 contest at the Vines Center.
• Longwood, which will be playing at home for the first time since Feb. 2, will look to halt a seven-game losing streak. The Lancers' last six victories have come in Farmville, dating back to last season. Longwood's most recent road win came at Charleston Southern on Jan. 4, 2014.
Competing Against the Commonwealth
Liberty is 4-0 against in-state opponents in 2014-15, and the Lady Flames have won nine consecutive games against Commonwealth foes, dating back to last season.
A Lot at Stake
If Liberty is victorious at Longwood, the Lady Flames would clinch the No. 1 seed for the Big South Women's Basketball Championship, wrap up a share of their 15th Big South regular-season title in 18 years, seal their eighth straight 20-win season and equal the Big South record for most conference victories in a single season at 16.
15 Shy of 1,000
Ashley Rininger enters Tuesday's game 15 points away from 1,000 for her career. She is aiming to become the 15th Lady Flame ever to reach the 1,000-point mark and the fourth Ohioan to do so (also Megan Frazee, Moriah Frazee and Kristal Tharp).
• Rininger, who did not reach the 1,000-point mark during her career at GlenOak High School, is aiming to become the 1,000-point club's first new member since Devon Brown tallied point No. 1,000 at Virginia on Dec. 7, 2011.
Fantastic at the Foul Line
Jennifer Fairfax has held the program record for consecutive free throws made since 1991, when she hit 22 straight foul shots. However, that mark is currently in jeopardy.
• Karly Buer is currently on a streak of 21 consecutive made free throws since her most recent miss on Dec. 30.
• Jaymee Fisher-Davis has made 20 straight free throws and has not missed one since her freshman season (March 10, 2013).
A Look Back at Liberty's 63-41 Win at Presbyterian
• Liberty became just the second visiting team to win at Presbyterian's Templeton Center in 2014-15, thanks to an efficient offense and a stifling defensive effort Saturday evening.
• The Lady Flames shot 51 percent from the field, committed just 10 turnovers and held PC to 28 percent shooting during a workmanlike 63-41 road victory.
• Ashley Rininger got the Lady Flames off to a fast start, scoring 14 of her game-high 16 points before halftime.
• Sadalia Ellis (10 points) and Simone Brown (9 points) then helped Liberty close out the Blue Hose, scoring all of their points during the final 20 minutes.
• The Lady Flames dealt the Blue Hose their largest setback (22 points) of the season, and Liberty has now held 10 of 16 Big South opponents below the 50-point mark.
• The Lady Flames, who finished at 51 percent (25-of-49) from the field, are now 99-1 under head coach Carey Green when making at least half of their field goals. Liberty scored 30 points in the paint and 23 bench points.
• Liberty grabbed 34 rebounds to Presbyterian's 31, outrebounding its 14th consecutive opponent.
• Rininger's 16 points boost the redshirt junior's career total to 985. She is just 15 points shy of becoming the 15th Lady Flame ever to score 1,000 career points. Rininger also accounted for three of Liberty's eight blocked shots.
• With her 10 points, Ellis has now scored in double digits in five of her last six outings.
• Katelyn Adams topped all players with eight rebounds, while Emily Frazier's five assists were a game high.
Darlings of Defense
Liberty has played stingy defense during Big South contests this season, ranking first in the conference for points allowed (49.6 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (30.3).
• The Lady Flames have held 10 of their 16 conference foes below the 50-point mark and no Big South team has scored more than 64 points against Liberty in 2014-15.
• Liberty has limited three of its last seven opponents (Campbell, High Point and Radford) to season-low point totals. The 39 points Radford scored against the Lady Flames on Feb. 2 were the fewest Liberty has allowed in a game since Feb. 28, 2013.
Controlling the Paint
Liberty is 13-1 in its last 14 games, thanks in large part to its success around the basket.
• The Lady Flames have outrebounded each of their last 14 opponents, by an average of 12.9 boards per game.
• Liberty has also outscored all 14 foes inside the paint, by an average of 15.2 ppg.
Winning the Battle of the Boards
Liberty has outrebounded 14 consecutive opponents, moving up to No. 15 nationally in rebound margin at +8.8.
The Container is Half Full
The Lady Flames are 99-1 under head coach Carey Green when making at least 50 percent of their field goals, including 3-0 in 2014-15. Liberty has won the last 26 times it has shot 50 percent or better, since an 83-77 loss to Kentucky in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship (March 20, 2010).
The Container is Half Empty
Liberty has held 56 straight opponents below 50 percent shooting from the field. Purdue was the Lady Flames' most recent foe to make at least half of its field goal attempts, connecting at a 50.0 percent (26-of-52) clip during the first round of the 2013 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship (March 24, 2013).
