Liberty won its fourth consecutive game with a balanced scoring attack on Saturday afternoon, defeating FIU 73-57. Former LCA Bulldog, Freshmen Avery Mills led the way with 15 points as four Lady Flames reached double figures in the victory.
Liberty (19-6, 12-2 CUSA) dominated the rebounding battle (34-28) and received a significant contribution from their bench, which scored 29 points.
FIU dropped to 10-15 overall and 6-8 in conference play, suffering just its second CUSA home loss of the season. The Panthers shot 36.5 percent (19-of-52) from the field and committed 22 turnovers.
Liberty Box Score
- Avery Mills – 15 points, 3-6 3FG
- Bella Smuda – 13 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks
- Emma Hess – 12 points, 3 steals, 2-6 3FG
- Asia Boone – 10 points, 2-2 3FG
- Jordan Hodges – 7 assists
- Brooke Moore – 8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
Liberty shot 51.9 percent from the field (28-of-54), 44.4 percent from three-point range (8-of-18), and 75 percent from the foul line (9-of-12). FIU had nearly double the free throw attempts (20) but made only 65 percent (13-of-20). Liberty outscored FIU in points in the paint (34-26) and second-chance points (7-3). Both teams turned the ball over frequently, with Liberty committing 20 turnovers and FIU 22.
Game Changer
With the score tied 14-14 with 4:05 remaining in the first quarter, FIU made only two field goals over the next 13 minutes as Liberty went on a 25-5 run. Avery Mills contributed 11 points during the surge, which ended with Liberty holding a 39-19 lead at halftime. The Lady Flames never relinquished the double-digit lead after that.
Worth Noting
- Liberty hit its first five three-point attempts, including two from Asia Boone, and led 24-16 after 10 minutes.
- In the second quarter, Liberty broke things open a 12-0 run, holding FIU scoreless for over seven and a half minutes. FIU hit two late three pointers, cutting its deficit to 14 points (39-25) at halftime.
- After being in foul trouble throughout the first half, Boone and Emma Hess combined for nine third-quarter points for the Lady Flames.
- Jordan Hodges went 3-of-4 from the free throw line down the stretch in the fourth quarter.
- Smuda posted her fifth double-double of the season and 25th of her career, tying her with Elena Kisseleva for fifth in program history.
- Boone, is now No. 10 all-time for the Lady Flames with 107 career triples
- FIU’s Natabou, who ranked No. 1 nationally in field goal percentage (70.3%), was held to nine points on 3-of-11 shooting
- Liberty improved to 16-0 this season when winning the rebounding battle.
Next Up: Liberty will continue its road trip on Thursday, traveling to Jacksonville State. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Eastern at Pete Mathews Coliseum. The home team has won all six previous matchups between Liberty and Jacksonville State, including the Lady Flames' 62-53 win at Liberty Arena on Feb. 1.
