Maintains Second Place in the Conference USA Standings
Liberty Arena proved to be a fortress for the Lady Flames this past week, as they secured back-to-back home victories over New Mexico State and UTEP. The pair of wins extended Liberty’s home winning streak to 11 games and solidified their stronghold on second place in the Conference USA standings.
Liberty 63, New Mexico State 58 – February 15
Box Score
The Lady Flames had to dig deep Thursday evening against New Mexico State, needing a late 9-0 run to escape with a hard-fought 63-58 victory.
Liberty (17-6, 10-2 CUSA) completed a season sweep of the Aggies and reached 10 conference wins for the 26th consecutive season. The Lady Flames relied heavily on their free throw shooting, converting an impressive 86.4 percent (19-of-22) from the stripe, including a clutch 11-of-12 in the fourth quarter.
The Aggies (12-12, 5-6 CUSA) were paced by Conference USA’s leading scorer Molly Kaiser, who poured in a game-high 25 points. New Mexico State held a slim 50-48 lead midway through the fourth quarter before being held without a field goal for over four minutes.
Key players for Liberty included Emmy Stout (14 points, 5-of-6 FG),
Asia Boone (12 points, 4 rebounds, 6-of-6 FT),
and Emma Hess (10 points, 3 assists).
Bella Smuda contributed eight points and three rebounds, while Elisabeth Aegisdottir added seven points, six boards, and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line.
A critical moment came when Sylena Peterson’s layup put New Mexico State ahead 50-48 with 5:13 remaining. Boone, who had scored just two points up to that point, exploded for 10 in the final minutes, including six straight during Liberty’s decisive 9-0 run. The Lady Flames sealed the victory by sinking 11 consecutive free throws.
Liberty 67, UTEP 53 – February 17
Saturday’s Senior Day celebration saw Liberty’s six seniors shine in a dominant 67-53 victory over UTEP. The win completed a season sweep of the Miners and improved the Lady Flames to 18-6 overall and 11-2 in CUSA play.
Seniors played a pivotal role, accounting for 34 of Liberty’s 67 points. Smuda led the charge with 15 points, including 11 in the second half. Pien Steenbergen added 11 points, while Hess contributed eight points and two steals.
Aegisdottir had a well-rounded performance with five rebounds, seven assists, and two steals.
Liberty controlled the interior, outscoring UTEP 38-24 in the paint and outrebounding them 45-26. The Miners (9-14, 2-10 CUSA) struggled offensively, dropping their fifth straight road game and seventh consecutive contest overall.
The game’s turning point came late in the first half when Ivane Tensaie’s three-pointer cut Liberty’s lead to 26-21 with just over two minutes remaining. However, the Lady Flames responded with a 12-2 run that spanned halftime, extending their lead to 38-23. From that point on, Liberty maintained a double-digit advantage.
The win marked Liberty’s 15th consecutive victory when winning the rebounding battle. Smuda’s performance helped her climb to fifth in program history for career field goals made (601), while Hess moved into 19th place on Liberty’s all-time scoring list with 1,083 career points.
Up Next
Liberty will hit the road for its next three games, beginning with a matchup at FIU (10-14, 6-7 CUSA) on February 22. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center in Miami, with live coverage available on ESPN+.
