Young guns stay hot
The Flames knock off Winthrop and High Point to keep the win streak rolling
Bad Man — Flames sophomore guard John Dawson puts up a contested jump shot as time expires in the first half against Winthrop’s Bjorn Broman (13) and Jimmy Gavin (44). Photo credit: Leah Seavers
Liberty took down Big South opponent Winthrop 88-77, for the first time since 2010, in a men’s basketball showdown on Tuesday, Feb. 2 in the Vines Center.
Both teams carried a winning streak into the game. The Flames won their previous four games, and Winthrop won seven straight games. Winthrop, the last team to beat the Flames, had routed Liberty by 16 points just two weeks earlier at Winthrop Coliseum.
A.C. Reid propelled Liberty to an early lead in the game. The sophomore forward was perfect from the field in the first 20 minutes of action, scoring five three-pointers, contributing 17 of the team’s 44 first half points.
Winthrop’s main scoring threats struggled to keep up with Reid and the Flames. Junior guard Keon Johnson and graduate guard Jimmy Gavin, two of the Big South’s top five scorers, contributed just 10 points collectively, combining for 23 percent from the field in the first half.
Liberty’s pack-line defense managed to tame the highest scoring offense in the league in the first 20 minutes of action. The Eagles, who are 3-5 when losing at halftime, were held to 26 points while shooting 30.8 percent from the field in the first half.
Maxin’ — Flames center Evan Maxwell lays it in during the win against Winthrop. Photo credit: Leah Seavers
“It feels great … to go on any court and know that we have a chance to win because of our defense,” Reid said.
Redshirt-sophomore guard John Dawson explained the season’s game plan has been to “impose our will on defense, and offense will take care of itself.”
Although Winthrop pieced together some promising runs in the second half, Liberty’s offensive success fueled by relentless defense continued.
Sophomore Evan Maxwell, the only center on Liberty’s roster, helped Liberty retain its lead early in the second half.
Maxwell scored five of his team’s first seven points of the period as the Eagles did their best to cut into the lead. Maxwell, who has struggled with an eye injury throughout the season, finished the game with 20 points.
The closest Winthrop came to the lead was five points with eight minutes to go in the game. Liberty remained calm under pressure and stretched the lead back out with the help of a Maxwell jumper and a timely Lovell Cabbil three-pointer.
Winthrop reverted to intentional fouls at the end of the game, a tactic that proved to be insufficient. Liberty took the game by a final score of 88-77. Xavier Cooks scored a game high 26 points for Winthrop, while Maxwell and Dawson tied for a team high 20 points for the Flames.
“It doesn’t feel good just to win — it feels good because we’re earning the wins, and we earn it every day in practice,” Dawson said.
Having won five straight and seven out of their last nine games, Dawson said “togetherness” was their key to success.
“We were here during (winter) break when nobody else was here — all we had was each other,“ Dawson said. “We’ve seen that if nobody believes in us, we’re the only ones that can believe in us. Having that mindset is a really big plus for us and it’s shown going throughout the season.”
Through the team’s recent success, Coach Ritchie McKay is keeping a level head and being careful not to get ahead of himself.
“Our guys are rowing in the same direction and they’re all in the same boat…I don’t know if it’s turned around,” McKay said. “I see them everyday so I know we’ve got a long way to go.”
The Flames extended their win streak to six, Feb. 6 at High Point, beating the Panthers 80-76. For more on that game, visit libertyflames.com. The Flames next game is Feb. 13 at Longwood.
Keating is a sports reporter.