Baseball update
The Flames were a disappointing 1-2 last weekend in Greenville at the Keith LeClair Classic. Liberty lost to St. John’s and UNC Greensboro on Saturday before rebounding with a win over host East Carolina on Sunday. The Flames are scheduled to have their home opener this weekend in a 3 game series against Bryant beginning this afternoon at 1pm. Make sure you check our weekly baseball roundups every week throughout the season to catch all the details on Liberty’s baseball team.
Johnson’s game continues to improve
Theo Johnson’s production continues to improve as the season goes on. The transfer from the College of Charleston was averaging 6.6 points per game in his first 13 games of the season and only reached double figured 3 times in those 13 games. In his 16 games since then, Johnson is averaging 12.8 points to push his season average to 9.7. If you take a closer look, you see his scoring numbers have increased weekly. In his last 10 games, his average is 14.8. In his last 7 games, his average is 15.6. In his last 3 games, he’s averaging 19.3 points per game including a career-high 26 points against Radford on Thursday night.
Reid struggles with mask
One thought did occur to me recently, so I looked into it. A.C. Reid has struggled much of the season with his 3-point shot and his percentage (28%) is terrible for a supposed 3-point shooter. The thought I had was that his broken nose and having to wear a mask for the better part of the season has probably affected his shot. If you’ve ever played basketball, you know the slightest changes can affect your shooting ability. After looking at the statistics, I think I’m on to something. Reid played 12 games before injuring his nose. In those 12 games (the first 12 of his collegiate career), he shot 16/46 (35%) from 3-point range. That’s not bad at all. He then broke his nose, and, after missing 3 games, returned to action wearing a mask. Over the next 11 games, he was 6/42 (14%) from 3. A dramatic difference from his numbers pre-injury. Reid hasn’t worn the mask the past several games, and his 3-point numbers are starting to pick up. He is 7/14 (50%) from 3-point range in the last 4 games.
WBB coach Carey Green
Women’s hoops update
The Lady Flames continue their run of dominance through the Big South this season and for the last 20 years. Coach Carey Green and his team have already clinched the Big South Regular Season Championship thanks to wins over Charleston Southern and Winthrop this week. Liberty has won 10 consecutive games and are 16-1 in their last 17 outings. The Lady Flames have an overall record of 22-6 and are 18-1 in Big South play. If Liberty beats Campbell on Saturday in their regular season finale, and win the Big South Conference Tournament, they will have an impressive 26 wins on the season. As impressive as this program has been, 26 wins would only rank as the 4th best single season mark in school history. The Lady Flames won 28 games in 1997-98 and 2007-08. Liberty is still projected as a 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament according to ESPN’s Bracketology.
Other sports
- The softball team dropped all 4 games in the Aquafina Invitational in Gainesville, Florida last weekend. The Lady Flames are off until March 5th when they travel to face South Carolina.
- The swimming & diving team finished in 2nd place in the CCSA Championships. The Liberty swimmers who record NCAA B cut times will await word on selection for the 2015 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships, which will be held in Greensboro, N.C., March 19-21.
- The 2015 Big South Indoor Track & Field Championships began on Thursday in Winston Salem, North Carolina. The men’s team seeks its 18th straight title while the women’s team looks to knockoff two-time defending champ Coastal Carolina.
FlameFans thread of the week
A lively discussion has ensued, including comments from his father, in the 2016 prospect: QB Jacob Wilson thread.
