Liberty Women Split First Two CUSA Games: Victory at WKU, Loss at Middle Tennessee

The Liberty Lady Flames displayed contrasting performances in their opening Conference USA (CUSA) games, earning a win against Western Kentucky before falling to Middle Tennessee in a challenging rematch of last year’s title game.

Liberty's Victory at Western Kentucky

Final Score: Liberty 77, WKU 66
The Lady Flames opened their CUSA campaign with a decisive 77-66 victory over Western Kentucky (WKU) on Thursday evening, fueled by exceptional three-point shooting and dominance on the boards. Liberty hit 12 triples at a 52.2% clip and outrebounded WKU 41-25 to secure the win at E.A. Diddle Arena, where they remain undefeated all-time (3-0).

Emma Hess led Liberty with 16 points, scoring 15 of them in the second half,

while Bella Smuda added 14 points and nine rebounds. Liberty's 22 second-chance points from 14 offensive rebounds proved critical, as they turned a three-point halftime lead into a commanding second-half performance.

Key Highlights:

• Liberty's bench outscored WKU's reserves 19-7.

• Hess tallied her first double-digit scoring game since November, while Smuda inched closer to Liberty's all-time top-10 rebounding list.

• WKU's Destiny Salary led all scorers with 19 points but could not prevent the Lady Toppers' first home loss of the season.

Liberty's victory avenged last season's narrow loss to WKU in their inaugural CUSA matchup and extended their winning streak against the Lady Toppers to three games.

Tough Loss at Middle Tennessee

Final Score: Middle Tennessee 69, Liberty 41
On Saturday, Liberty faced Middle Tennessee in a rematch of the 2024 CUSA Championship game but struggled against the dominant Lady Raiders, losing 69-41. Middle Tennessee’s backcourt duo of Jalynn Gregory (26 points) and Ta’Mia Scott (23 points) combined for 49 points, outscoring Liberty's entire team.

Liberty committed 24 turnovers, leading to 31 points for Middle Tennessee, while shooting just 29.4% from the field and 20% from three-point range. The Lady Flames trailed 16-5 after the first quarter and never recovered, scoring a season-low 41 points.

Key Highlights:

• Smuda blocked four shots, tying her season high, and now sits one rebound shy of Liberty’s all-time top-10 list.
• Despite the loss, Liberty’s bench provided 19 points, with all 11 players in uniform scoring.
• Middle Tennessee extended their winning streaks to 31 CUSA games and 16 home games.

Liberty's loss marked their fourth defeat in their last 17 CUSA matchups, all against Middle Tennessee.

Up Next

The Lady Flames (8-5, 1-1 CUSA) return home to face Sam Houston on Thursday at Liberty Arena, aiming to regain momentum in conference play.