University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Liberty
Liberty Downs UNC Asheville 78-56
01.28.2012 | Women's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Devon Brown scored 25 points and Liberty used a huge advantage at the free throw line to defeat homestanding UNC Asheville 78-56 in Big South Conference women's action Saturday afternoon.
The Lady Flames (12-7, 7-1 BSC) won their sixth straight game but had to overcome a halftime deficit against the Bulldogs (7-12, 3-5 BSC). The loss snapped a five-game Asheville winning streak at Kimmel Arena.
Liberty was 22-of-31 from the free throw line, while the Bulldogs were just 2-of-5 from the charity stripe.
Asheville was led by freshman guard Shonese Jones with 19 points, while Leah Wormack finished with 11 points. Lindsey Thompson added 10.
Also in double figures for Liberty was Tolu Omotola with 11 points. Avery Warley grabbed 11 rebounds.
Brown scored 18 of her points in the second half as Liberty shot .600 (18-of-30) from the field after struggling in the opening half.
The Lady Flames took charge of the game early in the second half. Asheville led 32-29 on a Jones jumper before Liberty went on a 20-5 run to surge to a 49-37 lead. The Bulldogs could get no closer than nine points the rest of the game.
Jones enjoyed a big first half with 17 points as the Bulldogs stunned the Flames as they led the whole half. The freshman guard went 7-of-12 from the field and knocked down two long three-pointers. She scored the final basket of the half when she drove through the heart of the Liberty defense and scored a lay-up as the buzzer sounded giving the Bulldogs a 30-27 halftime lead.
The Lady Flames struggled with their shooting in the opening half as they shot a frigid .279 from the field (8-of-29). The Bulldogs were a little better at .394 (13-of-33) but missed six lay-ups in the half that could have expanded their lead.
UNC Asheville is back at home Monday night when the Bulldogs host league rival Radford at 7 p.m. Liberty travels to Gardner-Webb on Monday, also at 7 p.m. in a rematch of the last three season's Big South Conference title game.
