Liberty holds off Gardner-Webb, 65-62. Here’s our rapid reactions:

  1. Gardner-Webb led much of the game with the Flames seizing control midway through the 2nd half. The Flames led for just 10:44 of game action, but they were able to hold on to the lead when it matters most.
  2. It was a matchup of contrasting lineups as the Flames typically play with 4, sometimes 5 guards. Meanwhile, Gardner-Webb started three guys at 6’5″ or taller including 6’7″, All-Conference performer Tyrell Nelson and 6’10” L’Hassane Niangane. It caused 6’4″ and 200 pound Ryan Kemrite to guard Nelson, a matchup the Runnin’ Bulldogs went to early and often. Nelson finished the game with a game high 22 points on 7/10 shooting and a perfect 8/8 from the free throw line. Tyrell Nelson also guarded Liberty’s point guard, whether it was Pacheco-Ortiz or Ray Chen, much of the night.
  3. The Flames struggled shooting from the field, particularly in the first half. Liberty started 4/18 shooting and was below 30% much of the first half. Liberty improved their shooting in the 2nd half as they connected on 44% of their field goals to finish the game at 37.7%. Meanwhile, Gardner-Webb made 52.4% of their shots.
  4. Gardner-Webb, the worst free throw shooting team in the country, opened the game missing their first 5 free throws. They then rebounded to make 6 straight and finished the game 16/24 (66.7%) from the charity stripe.
  5. It wasn’t the best night for redshirt-freshman Myo Baxter-Bell who missed his first 5 field goal attempts and finished the night 2/9 from the field. He also struggled with foul trouble, picking up his 4th foul with 11:34 left in the game.
  6. All 3 freshmen for the Flames struggled shooting on the night. In addition to Baxter-Bell’s 2/9 night, Brock Gardner and Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz combined to shoot 0/10 from the field. That’s a combined 2/19 from the field for the 3 freshmen while the rest of the team was 18/34. Gardner did lead the team with 6 rebounds in his 20 minutes of play.
  7. While Pacheco-Ortiz struggled with his touch, McKay praised his decision making in the post game. Georgie finished the game with 5 assists and 0 turnovers. He also had the huge steal in the final seconds of the game. It was one of 19 Gardner-Webb turnovers on the night.
  8. Liberty moves to 16-2 in the last 2 years under Coach McKay when holding its opponent to 62 points or fewer.
  9. John Dawson finished the game with a season-high 20 points. Ryan Kemrite also had 20 points while knocking down his first 5 field goal attempts. Kemrite finished the game 5/6 from the field, 3/4 from 3, and 7/8 from the free throw line.
  10. The Flames return to action on Saturday to host Winthrop at 7pm. It will be a battle for first place in the Big South as the 6-1 Flames play host to Winthrop. The Eagles are currently 5-1 and battling 5-1 UNC Asheville on ESPNU.

Notable quotes:

Ryan Kemrite – “We came in clutch with some stops down there at the end which is what we needed. I wouldn’t like it that way (game decided in final seconds), but if it’s any way we’re going to win it’s got to be through stops and the pack line. That’s what we take pride in and that’s what worked really well for us down the stretch.”

Ryan Kemrite – “We’ve got guys that are all in for the team. We have something that’s really rare, we have a lot of unselfish guys, together for one common goal and that’s we want to win, whether you play 1 minute, 30 minutes, or 40 minutes. We’ve got guys on the bench that never even smell the court and they’re just as excited as the guys who are playing lots of minutes. That kind of camaraderie and that kind of team togetherness is what we preach and it’s what’s really helping us right now.”

John Dawson – “I’m not focusing on offense, I’m focusing on my teammates. We’ve got plenty of weapons in Lovell, Myo, Ryan Kemrite, Georgie, we’ve got some guys on the bench that you haven’t seen that can score for us. Like I said, I’m not worried about scoring, I just want to win. I’m not really worried about the offensive end, the defensive end is where I try to get my money and be really effective for my team.”

Coach McKay – “What I love about this group is we’ve shown some semblance of togetherness. Do we have to fight harder? Yeah. Do we have to defend better? Yeah. But we are certainly on the road toward trying to build something that I think Liberty fans can hopefully be proud of. This group has earned an opportunity to be watched and to be respected.”

Coach McKay – “Georgie Pacheco was 0 for 7, he was not having a good night offensively. He took the 3 in the corner, which I love. He took the pull up jumper under a minute, which I love. Those were the right plays. He goes 5 assists, no turnovers, and comes up with the 50/50 ball in the last 30 seconds. That’s not a freshman. I can give you all the excuses, we don’t have Caleb, we’re not very big, we have a short bench. But I think this group is overcoming because of their togetherness and their willingness to sacrifice whatever their game is for the betterment of the team.”