Game Day Central page

Game Day Links:
Live Video (ESPN+)
Live Audio (LFSN Radio)
Live Stats
Liberty Game Notes
Liberty Women’s Basketball Instagram
Liberty Women’s Basketball Twitter
Liberty Women’s Basketball Facebook
Jacksonville State Women’s Basketball Webpage
ASUN Women’s Basketball Webpage

Game Time:
Thursday – 7 p.m.

TV Coverage:
ESPN+
Play-By-Play Broadcaster: Kyle West
Color Analyst: Kelley Deyo

Radio Coverage:
Liberty Flames Sports Network – Radio
WQLU 90.9 FM The Light
Play-By-Play Broadcaster: Jamie Hall

Liberty’s Top Storylines
• Liberty (13-7, 7-2 ASUN) will tip off a two-game homestand on Thursday by facing Jacksonville State (11-9, 4-5 ASUN) in a rematch of the teams’ 2022 ASUN semifinal clash.

• The Lady Flames have won a season-best five straight games, the last three of which have come against ASUN-leading opponents (FGCU, Austin Peay and Lipscomb).

• Liberty has won its last seven home games, and the home team has won both previous matchups between the Lady Flames and Gamecocks.

• Mya Berkman leads the Lady Flames in points (14.1 ppg) and rebounds (7.7 rpg) while ranking No. 1 nationally for field goal percentage (70.6). She needs 14 points and eight rebounds to join Liberty’s career top 10 lists in each of those two categories.

• Emma Hess collected her first ASUN Player of the Week award on Monday after averaging 21.0 ppg and hitting 11 triples at a 57.9 percent clip last week. She recorded career highs for points (28) and three-pointers (7) at Lipscomb on Saturday, hitting the most triples by a Lady Flame since 1999. Hess scored 22 of her points vs. the Bisons after halftime.

Notes and Anecdotes – Liberty vs. Jacksonville State
• Thursday’s contest will mark a rematch of the 2022 ASUN semifinal which Jacksonville State won in buzzer-beating fashion.

• Liberty was picked second and Jacksonville State third in the ASUN preseason coaches and media polls.

• The home team has won both meetings between Liberty and Jacksonville State, by a total of seven points.

• Liberty has won seven straight home games, improving to 7-1 at Liberty Arena this season. JSU has lost three straight road tilts, falling to 2-6 in road contests during 2022-23.

• An interesting matchup to watch will be Liberty’s three-point shooting versus Jacksonville State’s defense. The Lady Flames are hitting 38.9 percent of their three-point attempts during ASUN Conference play. The Gamecocks rank No. 13 nationally for three-point field goal percentage defense (25.7) and are allowing fewer than four triples/game.

• Liberty is 1-2 all-time versus Rick Pietri-coached teams, also including a 65-61 loss to South Alabama, Nov. 29, 2008 in Washington, D.C.

• The Lady Flames and Gamecocks are in their second year as ASUN Conference rivals. Both teams will join Conference USA next season.

Saturday’s Standouts
• Liberty’s 65-56 win at Lipscomb marked the Lady Flames’ third win in as many games when facing a team owning at least a share of the ASUN lead.

• Emma Hess exploded for a career-high 28 points and a career-high seven triples. She scored 22 points after halftime and outscored the Bisons, 14-12, in the fourth quarter.

• Dee Brown chipped in a season-high 13 points, while Pien Steenbergen notched a career-high four of Liberty’s season-high nine blocks.

Home Sweet Home
• The Lady Flames have won seven consecutive contests at Liberty Arena, improving to 7-1 at home this season and 35-3 all-time at the facility.

• The Lady Flames are 1-0 versus Jacksonville State inside Liberty Arena.

Good Work vs. the Gamecocks
• Kennedi Williams scored in double figures during both matchups against Jacksonville State last season, averaging 10.5 ppg and 4.0 apg. She hit two game-tying layups during the final minute of the March 9, 2022 ASUN semifinal tilt versus the Gamecocks.

• Mya Berkman averaged 11.0 ppg and 9.0 rpg versus Jacksonville State a year ago. She scored a team-high 15 points and pulled down nine rebounds during the ASUN semifinal contest at JSU.

Featured in Main Photo: #1 Kennedi Williams