Liberty Women’s Basketball Holds On To Beat Radford

The Liberty women’s basketball team (7-1) kept its fans entertained Sunday at 2 p.m. with a 61-56 win against Radford University. The close game kept fans at the edge of their seats, as the score lead changed three times throughout the game and it was tied six times.

The first half ended with a Liberty over Radford 35-23, and Liberty handled the ball with care. The Lady Flames only had three turnovers and their defense was equally efficient.

However, this efficiency saw a decline in the second half. In the third period the Lady Flames more than doubled their turnover count as Radford narrowed Liberty’s lead to a four-point game, 46-42.

“We took care of the ball in the first and second periods,” Liberty women’s basketball head coach Carey Green said. “In the third and fourth, we turned the ball over.”

One of the key contributors in the game was junior Tatyana Crowder. Crowder went in for Kierra Johnson-Grahm, who suffered a knee injury four minutes into the first period. Crowder showed off her defensive skillset – she had four defensive rebounds and one steal. Crowder also did a great job containing her opponents and helping her team cause quite a few shot clock violations.

“Tatyana played well,” Green said. “She really brought a lot of energy.”

Crowder seemed to be gaining confidence throughout the game and played a career high of 32 minutes. Though she played more than she was used to, she never looked like she was out of energy and stepped up to every challenge that came her way.

“I’m not afraid of much,” Crowder said. “I’m not the biggest but I can see any challenge. “

Another key contributor to the game was sophomore Lela Sellers. Sellers played a total of 38 minutes, scored seven of Liberty’s 61 points and had one offensive rebound and three defensive. Sellers’ contributions extended beyond the stat sheet.  The forward contained her player and blocked two key momentum-shifting shots.

Due to foul trouble, sophomore Keyen Green didn’t play as much as she typically would, but in the 18 minutes she did play, she had a great impact. Green led the team with 14 points and ended defensively with one block.

“A lot of people underestimate my team,” Green said. “We are a deep team.”

Junior KK Barbour also contributed 12 points and tied sophomore Ola Makurat with two assists. Barbour had four offensive rebounds and two defensive. She kept calm and was able to help her team keep the lead for the victory.

“You have to stick with it,” Barbour said.

Freshman Ashtyn Baker also left her mark on this game. Baker scored eleven points, had six rebounds and one steal. She was a key player when it came to moving the ball and getting the plays started.

Makurat was able to come off the bench and make an impact.  She had four points, two assists, one block and two steals. Makurat was also a key player when it came to setting up plays. She was able to stay poised under pressure and only had one turnover in the 21 minutes played.

“Everyone contributed to this win,” Crowder said. “You may not have seen them on the court but they contributed in practice.”

With the win over Radford, Liberty secured its tie for first with High Point University with a 7-1 record.  The Lady Flames travel to High Point University Tuesday, Jan. 30, to battle it out for first place.

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