Cold Shooting Bulldogs Fall to Liberty - UNC Asheville Bulldogs Official Athletics Site

Jan. 22, 2005

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - It was suppose to be a marquee battle for first place in the Big South Conference. Liberty and UNC Asheville each entered the game at 2-0 and looking to make a statement. It was a bad day to have an off game. UNC Asheville shot just 18 percent from the floor and fell to Liberty 70-43 ending its five-game winning streak while the Lady Flames recorded their 49th straight Big South victory.

"You can't shoot 18 percent against anybody and expect to win much less Liberty," said Asheville head coach Betsy Blose after the game. "This team has to get a little mentally tougher when the shots aren't going in, they have to stay determined. We played defeated in the second half. We never got in sync, we never had a run, and we never had anyone spark us. I am very disappointed because I think we are better than what we showed today."

It was still a game at halftime as Liberty (11-5, 3-0 Big South) held a 29-22 lead at the break despite Asheville (9-6, 2-1 Big South) making only five baskets in the opening period. The Lady Flames jumped out to a 7-0 lead as the Bulldogs didn't score for the first 4:50. UNCA made a run near the end of the first half. Kristal Hood hit a three-pointer at the 4:10 mark to pull the Bulldogs to within 21-18. The Lady Flames responded with a 6-0 run to get the lead back to nine points.

The Bulldogs were held scoreless for 7:12 in the second half as Liberty extended its lead from 41-32 at the 13:23 mark to 55-32 at the 6:11 mark. Kristal Tharp led the Lady Flames with 14 points while Katie Feenstra added 13 points and eight rebounds and Rima Margeviciute chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds.

Asheville was led by 11 points and six rebounds from Kristal Hood. Stacy Shepard added 10 points for the Bulldogs who had their lowest point production since a 61-42 loss at Liberty on Feb. 8, 2003.

The two teams combined to go to the free throw line 79 times in the game that saw 52 fouls called. Liberty was 30-44 from the stripe while UNCA went 21-35 from the line.

Liberty returns home to face Birmingham-Southern on Monday while UNC Asheville faces Radford at the Justice on Jan. 26. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.