Liberty Bounces Back with 2nd Win Over Jacksonville in 7 Days

Liberty bounced back from a Thursday loss at North Florida with a workmanlike 65-53 victory at Jacksonville, Saturday afternoon. Bella Smuda (15 points, 6 rebounds) paced three Lady Flames in double figures as Liberty handed the Dolphins their first loss at Swisher Gymnasium this season.

Liberty improves to 9-7 overall and 3-2 in ASUN play after splitting its two-game swing through Jacksonville. The Lady Flames shot 54.5 percent (24-of-44) from the field and nearly doubled up the Dolphins on the glass (29-15) while posting their second win over Jacksonville this week. The Lady Flames previously topped the Dolphins 81-66 on Sunday at Liberty Arena and have now won 10 straight matchups in the head-to-head series.

Despite Shynia Jackson’s game-high 20 points, Jacksonville falls to 8-7 on the season and 2-3 in the ASUN. The Dolphins, who saw their eight-game home winning streak halted, are now 0-4 all-time at Swisher Gymnasium against the Lady Flames.

Box Score Highlights

Liberty Individuals: Smuda – 15 points, 6 rebounds, 6-8 FG; Mya Berkman – 13 points, 3 assists, 6-7 FG; Kennedi Williams – 11 points, 6 assists, 3 steals, 5-5 FT.

Jacksonville Individuals: Jackson – 20 points, 5 rebounds; Seraphine Bastin – 14 points, 4 assists, 8-9 FT; Jalisa Dunlap – 7 points, 3 steals.

Key Team Stats: Liberty committed 20 turnovers but also scored 21 points off the Dolphins’ 17 miscues. In addition to their rebounding advantage, the Lady Flames topped the Dolphins in points in the paint (34-26) and second-chance points (12-6). Liberty scored 24 bench points to Jacksonville’s six.

Turning Point

Jacksonville’s Delayna Gillard hit a three-pointer 6:17 before halftime, giving the home team a 19-14 advantage. But that would be the final time the Dolphins scored in the first half.

The Lady Flames closed out the half with an 11-0 run, taking a 25-19 halftime lead. Liberty never trailed again.

Game Summary

First Quarter

• Jacksonville emerged from a back-and-forth first quarter with a 13-10 edge. The Lady Flames shot 50 percent (4-of-8) from the field but committed 10 turnovers during the first 10 minutes.

 Second Quarter

• Liberty took a 25-19 lead into the locker room after finishing off the opening half on the aforementioned 11-0 run. Bella Smuda tallied eight of her 10 first-half points during the second period.
• The Lady Flames outrebounded the Dolphins, 18-5, before the intermission.

Third Quarter

• Jacksonville got to the foul line 10 times during the third quarter, making seven of them to help the Dolphins chip a point off their deficit. Liberty was on top 41-36 heading to the final 10 minutes after leading by as many as eight during the stanza.

Fourth Quarter

• Jackson made all four of her fourth-quarter field goal attempts and scored eight points for the Dolphins.
• However, Liberty maintained its advantage with an efficient performance at the offensive end in the fourth. The Lady Flames shot 69.2 percent (9-of-13) from the field, 60 percent (3-of-5) from three-point range and 75 percent (3-of-4) from the foul line while committing only one turnover.

Notes and Nuggets

• Smuda’s 15 points matched her season high from Sunday’s meeting with Jacksonville. She went over the 500-point mark for her career in the process, finishing the game at 502.
• Fellow center Berkman tallied 11 of her 13 points after halftime and tied her career high of three assists. She has now scored in double digits in seven consecutive contests for the first time in her career. Berkman now ranks 15^th in program history with 1,151 career points after overtaking Moriah Frazee on Saturday.
• Williams scored in double digits for the second time this season, and her game-high six assists marked her sixth game of 5+ helpers in the last seven outings.
• Prior to Saturday, Liberty had lost its last three road games against ASUN foes, dating back to last season.
• The Lady Flames are now 10-1 all-time against Jacksonville.
• Liberty improves to 141-3 under Carey Green when shooting 50 percent or better from the field, including 5-0 this season.

Up Next

The Lady Flames will return to Lynchburg for their next two contests. Liberty will open the homestand Thursday at 7 p.m. when Stetson (8-10, 2-3 ASUN) visits Liberty Arena.

Featured in Main Photo: #1 Kennedi Williams