Liberty University Flames

• Heading to Texas on a six-game winning streak, Liberty (9-1) will face Grand Canyon (5-3) for the first time in program history during Friday's South Padre Island Classic lid-lifter.

• The Lady Flames are off to their best 10-game start to a season since the 2007-08 squad also opened at 9-1. Rebounding and defense have been key, as Liberty ranks No. 5 nationally in rebound margin (+14.9) and No. 11 in scoring defense (49.6 ppg).

• Liberty, which is 1-0 all-time against WAC opponents, will face back-to-back WAC foes in Grand Canyon and UTRGV. The Lady Flames are making their first visit to Texas in five years.

• "Super senior" Bridgette Rettstatt has scored in double figures in six straight games. She grabbed her 700th career rebound during a Dec. 7 win over Virginia Tech and is now within 25 points of 1,000.

• Mya Berkman paces the Lady Flames in points (14.6 ppg) and rebounds (7.9 rpg) while ranking No. 3 nationally in field goal percentage (67.0). She will play in her home state of Texas for the first time in her collegiate career.

Notes and Anecdotes – Liberty vs. Grand Canyon

• Liberty (ASUN) and Grand Canyon (WAC) both lost in their respective conferences' championship games in 2020-21, and both teams are tabbed for top-three conference finishes in 2021-22.

• Both teams' head coaches have recorded milestone victories this season. GCU's Molly Miller picked up career win No. 200 on Nov. 16, 12 days before Liberty's Carey Green notched his 500th victory.

• Liberty is 3-0 away from Lynchburg this season, while Grand Canyon is 0-3 when venturing away from Phoenix.

• The Lady Flames will seek their first-ever win over GCU on Friday. Liberty has already picked up its inaugural victories over Bowling Green and Ohio this season.

• Grand Canyon will be Liberty's first-ever opponent from the state of Arizona.

• Both teams are elite in creating extra possessions in different ways. Liberty ranks No. 5 nationally in rebound margin (+14.9). Meanwhile, GCU is the national leader in steals per game (16.6 spg).

• Liberty is playing in Texas for the first time in five years (Dec. 20, 2016 at UTSA). GCU last played in the Lone Star State one year ago (Dec. 18, 2020 at Houston Baptist).

Liberty vs. WAC

• Liberty is 1-0 all-time versus WAC opponents, thanks to a 68-44 victory at Kansas City on Dec. 21, 2019 in the Roo Holiday Classic.

• The Lady Flames will now face back-to-back WAC foes this week, in Grand Canyon (Friday) and UTRGV (Saturday).

• Liberty will become familiar with current WAC squads New Mexico State and Sam Houston State, when all three schools join Conference USA in time for the 2023-24 season.

Tournament Time

• Liberty went 2-0 at the Navy Classic (Nov. 27-28), its first regular-season tournament this season. The Lady Flames will now look to go unbeaten at two regular-season tournaments in the same season for the first time since 2007-08 (National City Xavier Invitational and UNLV Lady Rebel Christmas Classic).

• This is Liberty's first December tournament since Dec. 20-21, 2019. That event, the Roo Holiday Classic, was also hosted by a WAC team (Kansas City), and the Lady Flames went 2-0 with victories over Bradley and Kansas City.

• The Lady Flames are playing a tournament in Texas for the first time since the Rae & Craig Blair Memorial Tournament, Dec. 19-20, 2016 in San Antonio. Liberty fell to Central Arkansas and host UTSA.

Schedule

WBB Game Day: Grand Canyon