#11 Liberty (8-23, 2-16) and #6 UNC-Asheville (14-15, 10-8) will meet in the first round of the Big South Tournament on Wednesday night at 6pm. Here’s what you need to know about the game:
1. This will be the 3rd meeting this season between the two teams with UNCA winning the first two matchups.
The Bulldogs beat Liberty, 71-54, on January 8th in Asheville, and also won 95-77 this past Saturday.
2. Liberty has lost 6 straight against Asheville.
The Flames have not beaten the Bulldogs since 2012, and Dale Layer is 2-8 against UNCA in his 6 seasons at Liberty.
3. UNCA holds a slight 4-3 edge against the Flames in the Big South Tournament.
The last meeting came in the 2008 semifinals when host UNC-Asheville defeated liberty 75-57. From 1996-2001, LU & UNCA met in the tournament in 5 out of 6 years.
4. In 3 career games against the Flames, Andrew Rowsey is averaging 21 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4 assists per game.
These numbers are all higher than his career averages. In his only 2 Big South Tournament games, Rowsey is averaging 25 points per game while shooting a blistering 59% from the field, 56% from 3, and a perfect 9/9 from the charity stripe.
5. Theo Johnson is averaging 19 points per game over his last 4 games and has attempted an average of 12 free throws each of these games.
Photo courtesy Liberty.edu
It has bumped his season average to 10 points per game, the only Flame averaging double figures this season. Johnson was named the Big South Player of the Week last week.
6. Liberty has yet to win away from the Vines Center this year.
The Flames are 0-15 away from home including an 0-2 mark on a neutral floor.
7. Liberty head coach Dale Layer has a career mark of 4-4 in the Big South Tournament.
All 4 of his wins came in the 2013 Tournament. He has been ousted in the first round in 4 of his 5 seasons at Liberty.
