Liberty Women’s Basketball Defeats Jacksonville State In Close Game

In the first of two meetings this season, the Lady Flames defeated the Jacksonville State Gamecocks 62-57 in a hard-fought battle Jan. 29 that ebbed and flowed in the Lady Flames’ favor.

The dual between two ASUN powerhouses began by honoring Lady Flames senior forward Bridgette Rettstatt. She became only the 19th player for the Flames to join the 1,000-point club, forever stamping her name in the program’s history books.

Wasting no time, Rettstatt added to her point total by starting the Lady Flames off strong with a 3-pointer from the tipoff, just before the shot clock expired. After a 7-0 run from Liberty in the first two minutes, ASUN West Division leader Jacksonville State capitalized on turnovers to cut the Flames’ lead to five. Continuing its season dominance on the boards, Liberty accumulated 12 rebounds in the first quarter and led the Gamecocks 19-14.

“It hurt us a lot to give that many points up off turnovers,” Head Coach Carey Green said. “Usually, a turnover can turn into quick points for our opponent.”

Maintaining a close lead, the Lady Flames held off Jacksonville State’s early surge by making smart passes and scoring in the paint to go up 27-21 with 5:53 before the half. The teams traded points, and the Gamecocks continued to score from turnovers, but a last second layup from guard Dee Brown sent Liberty into the half with a 36-27 lead.

Jacksonville State threatened the Lady Flames’ lead in the second half. The score closed within four points to 38-34, but the Lady Flames managed to stop the Gamecocks’ surge with forward Jordan Bailey capitalizing on a block by Rettstatt with a 3-pointer. Guard Nenna Lindstrom added to the Lady Flames lead with another 3-pointer, but the Gamecocks sunk a dagger to end the third quarter down only one point when Keiara Griffin drained a 3-point at the buzzer.

“We can’t drop our heads,” guard Kennedi Williams said when asked about the nail-biting third quarter. “We can’t think about what happened last play. We have to focus on the next play.”

The Lady Flames’ defense stopped the Gamecocks’ offensive advance, allowing only three points in the first half of the fourth quarter to increase the lead to 55-49 with 4:08 remaining in the game. Nenna Lindstrom launched another 3-pointer into the basket, sealing the Lady Flames’ first win over the Gamecocks.

Throughout the game, efficient ball movement marked the Lady Flames’ offense. The team racked up 17 assists on 26 field goals, and Green took notice.

“We share the ball, and as we share the ball, we get better looks,” he said.

Starting the final stretch of their 2021-22 season, the Lady Flames will play at Bellarmine Feb. 3. Their next home game will be Feb. 9 against a scrappy Lipscomb squad.

“It’s an exciting time to watch these young ladies play,” Green said. “When they make their mind up and execute things, they’re a lot of fun to coach and a lot of fun to
watch play.”

Shealy is a sports reporter. Follow him on Twitter