Team News

WBB Game Day Central: No. 14/15 Duke

December 28, 2017 Lynchburg, Va.

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Ola Makurat and the Lady Flames will square off with Duke for the third straight season, Friday at 7 p.m.

Game Day Central Links:
Live Video (ACC Network Extra/ESPN3)
Live Audio (LFSN Radio)
Live Stats
Liberty Game Notes
Liberty Women's Basketball Instagram
Liberty Women's Basketball Twitter
Liberty Women's Basketball Facebook
Duke Women's Basketball Webpage

Game Time:
Friday - 7 p.m.

TV Coverage:
ACC Network Extra/ESPN3

Radio Coverage:
Liberty Flames Sports Network - Radio
WQLU 90.9 FM The Light
Play-By-Play Broadcaster: Jamie Hall
Color Analyst: Joe Carmany

The Starting 5 - Liberty's Top Storylines
• Liberty (5-6) will close out non-conference play with a visit to No. 14/15 Duke (10-2), following the Lady Flames' nine-day break from competition for Christmas.

• The Lady Flames will be seeking their first Top 25 win since 2005, their first victory against an ACC opponent since 2008 and their first-ever triumph over Duke.

• The Lady Flames are in the third contest of a four-game road swing and are playing their ninth game away from the Vines Center this season. Liberty is just 2-6 outside of Lynchburg in 2017-18.

• Lady Flames point guard Ashtyn Baker won her third Big South Freshman of the Week honor on Wednesday.

• Liberty sophomore Keyen Green, who just celebrated her 20th birthday on Tuesday, is playing her best basketball of the season. She was named to the Roo Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team after averaging 13.0 ppg and 8.5 rpg and helping the Lady Flames go 1-1 in Kansas City.

Series History vs. Duke
Overall: Duke leads, 5-0
Streak: Duke W5
At Liberty: Duke leads, 1-0
At Duke: Duke leads, 3-0
Neutral: Duke leads, 1-0
Carey Green vs. Duke: 0-5
Liberty's Last Win: None

Last 5 Meetings:

11/11/16 Duke 98, Liberty 38 (H)

12/17/15 Duke 79, Liberty 41 (A)

12/12/04 Duke 83, Liberty 48 (A)

12/20/01 Duke 95, Liberty 53 (A)

12/21/99 Duke 66, Liberty 45 (N)

Notes and Anecdotes - Liberty vs. Duke
• Liberty is facing Duke for the third consecutive season, including its second visit to Cameron Indoor Stadium during that span.

• Only three current Lady Flames (Tatyana Crowder, Molly Reagan and Sheana Vega) appeared in the team's 79-41 loss at Duke on Dec. 17, 2015, but none of them scored a point. Duke's Rebecca Greenwell reeled off 26 points that day and is averaging 27 ppg in two meetings with Liberty.

• Both teams will be playing their final tuneup before conference games on Friday, as Duke begins ACC competition at Miami on Sunday and Liberty tips off Big South action at Presbyterian on Tuesday.

• Duke Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie has a chance to record career win No. 600 on Friday. She is 599-221 in 26 years as a head coach, including 283-73 in 11 seasons at Duke.

• Liberty Head Coach Carey Green is 0-5 against Duke with the Lady Flames. However, he went 21-9 versus the Blue Devils during his time as a Clemson assistant (1987-99), including a 13-game winning streak spanning 1988-93.

• Duke is 27-0 all-time against Big South Conference opponents, including 3-0 this season. The Blue Devils have defeated High Point, Presbyterian and Winthrop in 2017-18, with the three wins each coming by 27+ points.

On This Date
• Liberty is 8-6 all-time on Dec. 29.

• The Lady Flames had won three straight Dec. 29 tilts before losing 62-51 to UMBC a year ago.

• Liberty is 0-1 versus ACC foes on Dec. 29, dropping a 63-54 decision at Virginia on Dec. 29, 2009.

• Liberty is 107-127 all-time in December, including 62-57 under Carey Green and 3-2 in 2017-18.

Lady Flames vs. the Top 25
• Liberty will face its second Top 25 opponent of the season, following its 74-50 setback at No. 24/23 Michigan in the Presesaon WNIT second round on Nov. 12.

• The Lady Flames own four Top 25 victories all-time, defeating No. 23 Virginia (Nov. 26, 2002), No. 19/17 Kansas State (Dec. 4, 2004), No. 22/25 Penn State (March 20, 2005) and No. 16/16 DePaul (March 22, 2005).

• Liberty has lost its last 26 meetings with Top 25 foes since its 88-79 victory over DePaul in the second round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament.

Lady Flames vs. the ACC

• Liberty is 4-27 all-time versus ACC opponents, with two of its victories coming against Virginia and one apiece versus Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

• The Lady Flames have lost eight straight meetings with ACC foes since Dec. 30, 2008. That day, Liberty edged Virginia Tech, 45-43, in the championship game of the Hokie Hardwood Classic in Blacksburg, Va.

• Liberty will be facing an ACC opponent for the fifth straight season. The Lady Flames are 0-6 vs. the ACC over the span, with four of the losses coming by eight points or fewer.