FGCU Races Past Liberty in ASUN Title Game, 84-60

No. 1 seed FGCU hit 14 three-pointers and got 20 points from Tournament MVP Tishara Morehouse in an 84-60 victory over No. 2 seed Liberty in the 2023 ASUN Women’s Basketball Championship final, Saturday evening at Alico Arena.

Liberty (24-8), which sees its 16-game winning streak halted, falls to FGCU in the ASUN title tilt for the third time in five seasons as ASUN Conference members. All-Tournament Team performer Kennedi Williams paced the Lady Flames with 15 points, while Mya Berkman added 13 points and seven rebounds. Williams was joined on the All-Tournament Team by teammate Dee Brown (nine points, four rebounds, four assists).

The Lady Flames will now prepare for their second consecutive Postseason WNIT appearance. The tournament’s 64-team field will be announced Sunday night with the full bracket to follow on Monday.

FGCU (32-3) captures its 10^th ASUN title in 12 years and returns to the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time. The Eagles shot 50 percent (14-of-28) from beyond the arc and also outrebounded Liberty (34-25), converting 13 offensive boards into 17 second-chance points. FGCU also turned Liberty’s 15 turnovers into 26 points. Morehouse was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Emma List (16 points, four rebounds, seven assists, five steals) and Sha Carter (15 points, six rebounds).

FGCU avenged its only ASUN loss of the season, an 88-78 overtime setback at Liberty Arena on Jan. 21. The Eagles have won 14 straight games since that night, which marks Liberty’s only victory over FGCU in 13 tries all-time. FGCU has still never lost to a single ASUN opponent twice in the same season.

Box Score Highlights

Other Liberty Individuals: Bella Smuda – 9 points, 2 blocks.

Other FGCU Individuals: Maddie Antenucci – 14 points, 8 rebounds; Uju Ezeudu – 9 points, 2 blocks.

Key Team Stats: Both teams shot well from the field, as FGCU finished at 49.1 percent (28-of-57) and Liberty shot 45.3 percent (24-of-53). However, the Lady Flames were just 30 percent (3-of-10) from long distance. Despite being short-handed with the absence of regular starter Sophia Stiles, FGCU tallied 22 bench points to Liberty’s 15.

Turning Point

Liberty was within eight points twice early in the third quarter, including at 42-34 when Williams hit a layup with 6:49 on the clock.

Morehouse then helped FGCU break the game open, hitting two triples and scoring 10 points during her team’s ensuing 16-2 run which ignited the crowd of 2,694.

Now leading by 22 points (58-36), the Eagles didn’t let the Lady Flames get any closer than 15 the rest of the night.

Game Summary

First Quarter

• The lead changed hands four times during the first quarter before FGCU emerged with a 17-16 edge. Emma List scored eight points for the Eagles, hitting both of the home team’s triples in the opening period.

Second Quarter

• FGCU outscored the Lady Flames 14-6 over the final 4:51 of the first half with four different Eagles hitting three-pointers. As a result, FGCU took a double-digit lead (38-28) into the intermission.

Third Quarter

• Aided by five straight Dee Brown points, Liberty tallied nine of the stanza’s final 11 points on the heels of FGCU’s 16-2 burst, cutting its 22-point deficit to 15 (60-45) heading to the fourth period.

Fourth Quarter

• Sha Carter tallied a dozen points during the final period and hit one of her team’s four triples as FGCU led by as many as 27 on its way to a 24-point win.

Notes and Nuggets

• Brown has now made back-to-back appearances on the ASUN All-Tournament Team.
• The lone Lady Flame to play in all three of Liberty’s ASUN finals against FGCU, Berkman overtook Ashley Rininger for seventh place on the Lady Flames’ career scoring list on Saturday. Her 13 points give her 1,389 for her career.
• With her nine points, Smuda moved into 50^th place in program history with 631 career tallies.
• Hess hit her 60^th three-pointer of the season on Saturday, becoming the fourth Lady Flame in program history with 60 triples in a season.
• Liberty fell to 0-8 all-time at Alico Arena, where FGCU recorded its 14^th consecutive home triumph.
• With FGCU ranked No. 23 nationally in the coaches poll, Liberty has now lost 38 straight games to Top 25 opponents.
• The Lady Flames will now make their fourth Postseason WNIT appearance and will play in the tournament in back-to-back seasons for the first time.Featured in Main Photo: #1 Kennedi Williams