The Lady Flames Basketball team defeated the Lady Pirates of East Carolina University 69-53 Nov. 7 in a thrilling competition to extend its year-long victory reign in Liberty Arena.
ECU won the opening tipoff, but the Lady Flames quickly regained possession of the ball, setting the tone for the back-and-forth game. ECU scored first with a 3-pointer, but the lead did not last long. Sophomore guard Avery Mills responded with a 3-point shot followed by a layup to push the Lady Flames ahead.
Mills netted another 3-pointer to end the first quarter, raising the energy in the arena that carried on through the rest of the game. The first quarter concluded with the Lady Flames leading 19-11 after a 10-minute battle for control.
The second quarter was highlighted by another Mills 3-pointer and two 3-point shots from junior guard Claudia Acin.
Defensively, the Lady Flames struggled, allowing a handful of turnovers that shifted the momentum in ECU’s favor. The Lady Pirates’ offense exploded in the second quarter, bringing the game to a close 34-33 heading into halftime.
The third quarter, however, saw a shift for the Lady Flames as they scored a game-high 23 points. Not only was this quarter a display of Liberty’s crafty offense, but the Lady Flames’ defense held the Lady Pirates to only 6 points, bringing the final score at the end of the third to 57-39.
The Lady Pirates upped their intensity in the fourth quarter with an aggressive defense that put pressure on the Lady Flames. Despite this, Liberty managed to add 12 more points to its game total while maintaining control of the game.
The final quarter was highlighted by more 3-pointers from Acin and Mills. Redshirt freshman forward Ify Nwaobi, sophomore center Emmy Stout and freshman center Lynn Peters found room in the paint to add 2 points. The Lady Flames slowed the game down in the last 20 seconds, letting the clock run out to claim a 69-53 victory and 2-0 record for the season so far.
The Lady Flames’ offense was led by Mills with 21 points; Acin with 17 points, going 5-for-5 for 3-pointers; and Stout with 15 points. On the defensive end, the Lady Flames had a total of 41 rebounds, Mills leading with 10, while Stout found two blocks to help shut down the ECU offense.
“Every game that you play is an opportunity to learn, to learn your team, to get your team experience,” Sherard said. “… Anytime you can get a win in that process of learning your team, obviously that helps the overall picture as far as your end of season goals.”
With two wins under their belt this season, the Lady Flames look toward a rematch against Duke University Nov. 16. The last game the Lady Flames lost at Liberty Arena was against the Lady Blue Devils Nov. 7, 2024. Conference play for the Lady Flames begins in January.
Wachowiak is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.