Big South tourney nears

Flames split final two games of 2014-2015 year against Radford and UNC-A

Liberty 80, Radford 69
The clock showed zeros across the board. The officials blew their whistles and raised their hands, indicating the game was over. The Flames men’s basketball team quickly made its way to center court for their routine post-game prayer. This time, their faces were riddled with excitement and jubilation. For the first time this season, the Flames defeated a top-five Big South opponent, the Radford Highlanders (21-10, 12-6 Big South) Feb. 26, 80-69.

After trading baskets to begin the game, senior center James Johnson rolled to the basket after setting a screen for junior forward Theo Johnson. Theo Johnson then hit the screener, who elevated for a one-handed flush, giving the Flames the early lead.

Liberty’s defensive play helped the Flames maintain their lead. The Flames kept the Highlanders without a basket for nearly three minutes until junior guard Rashun Davis nailed a mid-range jumpshot, tying the game at four. But senior guard Ethan Layer broke the tie after knocking down a three-ball, his 28th on the season.

Two minutes later, junior guard Joe Retic made his return to the Vines Center after missing 12 games with a foot injury. Flames Head Coach Dale Layer said Retic’s second game back from injury was an effective, efficient one.

“How (Retic) started was great,” Layer said. “How (Retic) finished was great. He gave us another stable hand.”

After Smith made a pair of free throws, the Highlanders amped up their defensive pressure. Radford dialed up a full-court press that caused the Flames many issues last time these two teams met, according to Layer.

Layer, however, counteracted the press with a two point guard lineup featuring Retic and freshman guard Jordan Dembley, which Layer said they had only run for four minutes during this season going into the matchup.

“(Retic) stabilized us,” Layer said. “(Retic) and Jordan handled the pressure as well as anybody could. … It’s not just breaking the press, its scoring on
the press.”

After Radford’s trump card failed to work against Liberty’s backcourt, the Flames broke away from the Highlanders, gradually increasing their lead. While the backcourt played a vital role in breaking the press, the frontcourt played an even bigger role in increasing the lead. Forwards David Andoh and Smith both attacked the basket for
easy layups.

With seven minutes remaining in the half, the Flames lead was 13. But when the five-minute mark hit, the Highlanders showed the Flames why they are the No. 4 team
in the Big South.

The Highlanders finished the half on an 11-3 run that appeared to have the Flames reeling. A basket from Theo Johnson was the only field goal for the Flames in those five minutes. Liberty still had the lead, but the Highlanders sliced the deficit to only two points to trail 32-30 at half.

Radford came out in the second half as a team who appeared to have a lot to play for, as they did. Winning this game would earn them a bye week in the Big South Championship.

Senior guard R.J. Price started the second half with an open three-pointer, giving the Highlanders their first lead since the opening minutes. Smith responded with a layup, and then Price hit another three-pointer. He later followed that up with a pair of free throws and another three-point shot. Price alone outscored the Flames in the first three minutes, 11-6.

Despite Price’s hot streak, the Flames were still tied at 41 with 16 minutes left. However, Radford ignited another run that included a ferocious slam from Green. Four different Highlanders contributed, giving Radford the 50-43 lead, their largest on the night.

With 14 minutes remaining, the Flames began to weather the storm. Smith hit a pair of shots to go along with scores by Theo Johnson and David Andoh to put the Flames back in the lead for good. The Highlanders threatened to come back toward the end of the game, but Theo Johnson and the Flames were ultimately too much to handle, as the Flames came out victorious, defeating Radford 80-69.

Theo Johnson finished with a career-high 26 points. The 6-foot-7-inch forward made more shots at the charity stripe (14) than Radford’s team shot (12). His aggressive attacks to the basket kept him on the foul line.

“Coach just told me to attack,” Theo Johnson said. “That’s what he’s been telling me all season, and that’s what I’m
gonna do.”

UNC-Asheville 95, Liberty 77
There was nothing pretty about Liberty’s final home game of the season, as UNC-Asheville poured 95 points on the Flames in a game most will remember for an exorbatant foul count above everything else.

Each team shot at least 38 free throws — 40 for the Flames and 38 for the Bulldogs — in a game featuring 57 combined fouls. That adds up to almost 1.5 fouls per minute.

Sophomore UNC-Asheville (14-15, 10-8 Big South) guard Andrew Rowsey, who is from nearby Lexington, Virginia and had a good number of fans in attendence at the Vines Center, led the Bulldogs in scoring, pouring in 27 points, including hitting 14 of 15 free throws.

Rowsey broke the game open midway through the first half, spurring a 23-6 run with two old-fashioned three-point plays — hitting layups through contact and converting each free throw — and hit a wide-open transition three-pointer to cap the Bulldogs scoring tear.

“He’s so small, you just lose him sometimes, honestly,” Theo Johnson said of guarding Rowsey.

Liberty’s seniors — Andrew Smith, Ethan Layer and James Johnson, along with manager Kyle Griffin — were honored before tip-off. Smith was a rebound away from a double-double in his last game at the Vines Center, tallying 11 points and nine boards. Layer added eight points and James Johnson finished with seven.

The Flames gave up their second-highest point total all season, only allowing more in a 96-56 loss to Coastal Carolina. UNC-Asheville hit 58.8 percent of its field goal attempts as it methodically picked apart the Flames defense.

Oddly enough, the two teams will face each other again in the first round of the Big South Championship March 4 at 6 p.m. The Flames will need to buck a six-game losing streak to the Bulldogs in order to advance to play No. 3-seeded Coastal Carolina in the quaterfinals.

Three players remain from the Flames 2013 title-winning team, but Smith is the only healthy one who was a key cog during that improbable run.

HAYWOOD is the asst. sports editor.

TICHENOR is the sports editor.