Liberty Defeats WKU 74-70 for Share of CUSA Title; #1 Seed

WKU’s Hot Start Nearly Spoils Liberty’s Title Hopes

For more than a minute, it seemed as if Liberty’s share of the Conference USA regular-season title would fade into the distance. Western Kentucky stormed out of the gate, shooting a blistering 71.4 percent in the first quarter, including four three-pointers. Combined with 11 points off Liberty’s seven turnovers, the Lady Toppers built a commanding 35-21 lead.

Liberty Responds in the Second Quarter

Liberty answered in the second quarter, knocking down four three-pointers of its own to chip away at the deficit. By halftime, the Lady Flames had cut WKU’s lead to 39-32.

Hot Shooting Fuels Liberty’s Comeback

Liberty carried its momentum into the second half, continuing its sharpshooting from beyond the arc. The Lady Flames shot 71.4 percent from three-point range in the third quarter, with Jordan Hodges and Avery Mills each hitting two triples. By the end of the period, Liberty had flipped the script and held a seven-point lead.

Mills Continues Take Over

Avery Mills took center stage in the closing minutes of the third quarter and the early moments of the fourth. She scored all 13 of her points in a span of 4:46, single-handedly outscoring WKU’s five players 13-8 over that stretch.

Western Kentucky refused to go away, clawing back to within two points with 20 seconds remaining. But Emma Hess calmly sank two free throws with 3.5 seconds left, sealing the victory for the Lady Flames.

Box Score

Liberty Standouts

• Asia Boone – 15 points, 4-7 3FG
• Avery Mills – 13 points, 3-4 3FG
• Emma Hess – 12 points, 6 rebounds
• Jordan Hodges – 11 points, 3-8 3FG
• Bella Smuda – 10 points, 3 rebounds

Liberty Secures No. 1 Seed

With the win, Liberty (23-6, 16-2 CUSA) enters the postseason riding an eight-game winning streak. The Lady Flames earned their first conference regular-season title and No. 1 seed since their final year in the Big South Conference in 2018. Liberty shared the regular-season crown with Middle Tennessee but claimed the top seed by virtue of sweeping No. 3 seed WKU in the regular season.

The Lady Flames will open CUSA Tournament play on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. Eastern in the quarterfinals against the winner of Tuesday’s first-round matchup between No. 8 seed Sam Houston and No. 9 seed Jacksonville State. The game will be played at Propst Arena in Huntsville, Ala., and will air live on ESPN+.

Ticket Information

Single-session tickets are now available at LibertyFlames.com/CUSABasketball.