Liberty Women’s Basketball Fall To No. 23 FGCU: Now Prep For The ASUN Tournament

Despite a valiant effort, the Lady Flames basketball team was unable to pull off a historic upset against the No. 23 Florida Gulf Coast Eagles Feb. 24, falling short 69-61 in just its third loss of the season. 

Liberty entered Thursday’s matchup searching for not only the Lady Flames’ first ever program win against the FGCU Eagles, but also the No. 1 spot in the ASUN East Division. With two ASUN superpowers battling it out for top seeding and home-court playoff advantage, fans and players alike anticipated a scrappy showdown — and what unfolded on the court did not disappoint. 

FGCU came out hot off the jump, playing with a fast, physical pace that left Liberty floundering to catch up. The Lady Flames compounded matters with poor ball handling, resulting in five turnovers in the first quarter.

The Lady Flames needed a spark, and junior guard Alyssa Iverson stepped up to ignite the offense. Iverson came off the bench and sunk a 3-pointer right off the bat, sparking a 10-3 run that cut the Lady Flames’ deficit to two to end the
first quarter. 

This momentum surged into the second quarter when Liberty held FGCU scoreless for the first 6:34 of play, capturing its first lead of the night. A 26-18 score had Liberty with its largest lead of the game. However, seven Lady Flames’ turnovers opened the door for the Eagles to get right back into it. The final minutes of the period were all FGCU, capped by a buzzer-beater shot from Tishara Morehouse that sent the Eagles into the half on top 30-28.

“You’ve got an eight-point lead — take care of the ball, and you’re going to go (into halftime) leading, not down two,” Liberty Head Coach Carey Green said. “That run was initiated by our turnovers. They’re an explosive team. They’ll do that to everybody.”

Both teams showcased physicality and grit in the second half. FGCU opened up a seven-point lead, but Liberty was able to keep within striking distance by driving into the paint and drawing fouls. Reigning ASUN Player of the Week Bridget Rettstatt’s first bucket of the night late in the third was a visible momentum-shifter, bringing the Lady Flames within one point and igniting the crowd at Liberty Arena.

“The crowd was amazing tonight,” Rettstatt said. “I think honestly that’s probably one of the best crowds we’ve played for as Liberty women’s basketball.” 

Rettstatt continued to come alive in the fourth quarter with resilient play and concluded the game with 12 points of her own. Momentum seemed to be shifting to Liberty’s side until FGCU’s dynamic duo of Morehouse and Kierstan Bell exploded, combining for 17 points and preventing the Lady Flames from securing victory. 

“We were making twos,” Rettstatt said. “They were making threes. Those threes were a hard pill to swallow, but I just think we got a little bit lost on defense in the fourth quarter.” 

Despite efforts to revive their offensive production late in the fourth, Liberty failed to capitalize from beyond the arc at critical moments, which led to a 69-61 defeat. However, free throws proved to be Liberty’s Achilles’ heel all night long. The Lady Flames made only a third of their tries in the fourth quarter, finishing the game 15-26 at the foul line. 

“We’re a better free throw shooting team than that,” Green said. “When you do break it down, the third and fourth quarter we were 8-16, so that’s eight points right there where it’s hard to make up the difference.”

Regardless of the outcome, the Lady Flames know that all the errors made on the court remain correctable. Coming this close to beating a ranked opponent for the first time since 2005 is no easy feat, but Rettstatt noted this tough loss only builds confidence heading into the postseason.  

“We knew this was going to be a battle, but the good thing is this isn’t the end of the war,” she said. “Lord-willing, we’ll get to play them again, and our team is hungry. We’re ready to take them down.”

The Lady Flames showed a short memory as they took down Kennesaw State 63-57 Feb. 26. The win closed out regular-season play, bringing the Lady Flames to a 26-3 overall record and a 14-2 ASUN record.

Liberty will begin ASUN tournament play in the quarterfinals March 6 at 2 p.m. in the Liberty Arena. The Lady Flames have secured a first-round bye, but they will not know their opponent until after the first-round games March 2. 

CORY is a sports reporter. Follow her on Twitter