Box Score (PDF)
LYNCHBURG, Va.- Catherine Kearney scored a game-high 19 points and hauled down 10 rebounds and Liberty shot 42.6% including a 52.9% clip in the first half as the Flames defeated Gardner-Webb women's basketball team 73-51 in a Big South Conference matchup Tuesday night in the Vines Center.
With the win, Liberty moves to 11-8 and 8-2 in Big South play, while Gardner-Webb falls to 13-7 and 7-3 in conference action.
The Flames shot a blistering 65.0% in the opening quarter and knocked down 18-of-34 in the first half, but Gardner-Webb stepped up its defense in the second half limiting the Flames to just 32.4% in the second half and 0-6 from behind the three-point arc, after hitting five in the opening 20 minutes.
Katelyn Adams and Brooke Alexander each had 11 points to round out the double-digit scorers for the Flames, while Olivia Parker and Candace Brown each had eight to pace the offense for the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Liberty outrebounded Gardner-Webb 56-38 and held a 46-20 advantage on points in the paint, but Ky'Asia Stanford came off the bench and chipped in with six points as GWU got great production from its bench totaling 26 points compared to just 21 for LU.
The Flames hauled down 16 offensive boards, but GWU did a great job of contesting the putbacks limiting Liberty to just seven second-chance points.
Brooke Alexander opened with the game's first points on a layup for Liberty, but the Runnin' Bulldogs responded with back-to-back three-pointers by Hill and Parker to tie the game at six.
Following the three-pointers for GWU, Liberty raced out to a quick 10-0 run over the next four minutes to put the Flames up 16-6 with 4:23 left in the opening quarter.
Brown and Parker combined for the next nine points as GWU answered LU's run with 9-2 run to make the score 18-15, but Liberty ended the quarter on a 12-1 run and led 30-16 after 10 minutes. Liberty shot an impressive 65.0% in the opening quarter and drilled 2-of-4 from downtown.
The Flames continued their impressive play into the second quarter opening on a 14-2 run over the first five minutes. Kearney's layup at the 4:51 mark of the second quarter gave LU its largest lead 44-18, but GWU scored the final four points of the quarter on two free-throws by Huntsman and a layup by Jenkins with 26 seconds left.
Liberty shot 52.9% in the opening half and hit 5-of-10 from beyond the three-point range as it led 47-29 heading into the halftime break.
Gardner-Webb outscored Liberty 13-12 in the third period and played great defense holding the Flames to just 28.6% from the field and 0-of-5 from three, but the Flames led 59-42 at the end of 30 minutes.
The Flames scored 14 points in the final quarter and a solid defensive effort limited Liberty to just 32.4% shooting in the second half, but the Runnin' Bulldogs could not overcome a big first quarter deficit and fell 73-51 to end its six-game win streak.
Gardner-Webb takes to the road for the second of two straight-road games Saturday, when it takes the short trek down to Clinton, S.C. to face Presbyterian at 5:00 p.m.
