Liberty University Lady Flames Women's Basketball 2012-13 Season Guide
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athletics administration 2012-13 Outlook TR AINING CHAMPIONS FOR CHRIST SINCE 1971 Tolu Omotola 66 could be up to the task, combining for nine points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots while Warley was mired in foul trouble during the 2012 Big South Championship title game. One of four Texas natives on the Liberty roster, Omotola averaged 8.0 ppg and 6.6 rpg last season. She boosted her stats against conference opponents, posting 9.9 ppg in Big South play and pulling down 8.3 rpg at the Big South Championship. "Tolu displays scoring punch inside through power play, yet also has exceptional shooting touch out to three-point range and can stretch defenses," Green noted. "We look to her to be one of our leading rebounders this year. Tolu is a powerful force inside and must be reckoned with." Gardner, who stands 6-2, more than doubled her scoring average from her freshman season in 2011-12 and improved her field goal percentage to .510. As previously mentioned, the Volunteer State native contributed four points and four rebounds in nine key second-half minutes during the Big South Championship title contest. "Jasmine is coming off of a greatly improved sophomore year," Green offered. "She continues to develop and improve, providing exceptional power and speed in the post. She finished the season playing her best basketball, especially in tournament play. With Jasmine's effort and hustle, she can change the outcome of a game." The Lady Flames' tallest player at 6-6, Kearney was Liberty's leading bench player in both rebounds (3.8 rpg) and blocked shots (0.8 bpg) as a freshman. She played well in the Lady Flames' three matchups with Big South runner-up High Point, averaging 9.3 ppg against the Panthers. "Catherine is returning from a freshman season which included flashes of exceptional play," noted Green. "We look for continued development and improvement as she becomes a consistent, solid inside presence. Catherine is athletic and is the best shot blocker on our team." Rounding out the Lady Flames' roster, Katelyn Adams and Ashley Rininger both stand 6-4 or taller and were each redshirted during their first year on Liberty Mountain. During that year, the redshirt freshman duo was able to benefit from battling against strong post players like Warley and Omotola every day in practice. "Katelyn has a high basketball IQ and is perhaps one of our best passing post players," Green offered. "We have high expectations for her as she continues to develop. She has great shooting touch out to three-point range. Katelyn's work ethic, improvement and development have been the best on the team." "Ashley continues to develop and provide an explosive scoring punch," added Green about the Ohio native. "She can score inside and out and will provide needed rebounding and defense. As Ashley matures and develops, our future post play looks bright." Schedule The Lady Flames will tip off the 2012-13 season at Duquesne on Nov. 9, in the opening round of the Preseason WNIT. Liberty will play either three or four contests, all away from home, as part of its first appearance in the 16-team tournament since 2008. After the Preseason WNIT concludes, the Lady Flames will head to the Lone Star State for the week of Thanksgiving, in a homecoming of sorts for Liberty's four Texas natives on the roster. Liberty will play at 2011 NCAA national champion Texas A&M on Nov. 20, before traveling to reigning national champion Baylor three days later. With some difficult matchups in their rear-view mirror, the Lady Flames will be glad to return to Lynchburg for their home opener, Nov. 27 against UNC Greensboro. For the second year in a row, Liberty will open its 18-game Big South Conference schedule at the Dedmon Center against Radford. The Dec. 1 matchup will mark the earliest the Lady Flames have ever played a conference game in their 22 seasons as a conference member. On Dec. 4, Liberty will play at James Madison in its second of six scheduled regular-season matchups against a 2012 Postseason WNIT participant. The Dukes advanced all the way to the WNIT title game a year ago, before losing at Oklahoma State. Liberty will then begin its longest homestand of the season, a stretch of four games in 10 days, against another 2012 WNIT qualifier in UNC Wilmington on Dec. 8. The Lady Flames' first-ever matchup against the Seahawks will precede home tilts against Bluefield State (Dec. 13), North Carolina A&T (Dec. 15), and Virginia Union (Dec. 17). The Lady Flames' final non-conference game will take the team to Virginia Commonwealth University on Dec. 20. The new Atlantic-10 member advanced to the WNIT's round of 16 in 2011-12. After a break for Christmas, Liberty resumes its Big South slate Dec. 29 at Winthrop, where the Lady Flames will attempt to avenge one of their two conference losses from the 2011-12 campaign. With an 18-game unbalanced conference schedule in place this season, Liberty will play Presbyterian College and Gardner-Webb once each and face every other conference squad twice during the regular season. Big South women's basketball games will be played on Thursdays and Saturdays, beginning Jan. 3. The Lady Flames' lone matchup with the Blue Hose will be Liberty's Big South home opener on Jan. 3. Meanwhile, Liberty's only tilt against Gardner-Webb will come Feb. 23 in Boiling Springs, N.C. Liberty will get its first look at Coastal Carolina's new HTC Center when the Lady Flames face the Chanticleers there on Jan. 12. The facility will host the Big South Men's and Women's Basketball Championships for the next three years. Speaking of the Big South Championship, Liberty and High Point will rematch the 2012 title game twice, including Jan. 17 at the Vines Center and Feb. 2 on the Panthers' home court at the Millis Center. Liberty's 29th all-time meeting with Longwood, set for Jan. 26 at the Vines Center, will be the teams' first matchup as Big South Conference foes. The Lancers are joining the Big South in all sports during the 2012-13 athletic year. The Lady Flames will close out the regular-season slate by playing four of their last six games at home against Big South foes, including the March 2 regular-season finale against Charleston Southern. Liberty is 36-3 in home Big South games during the last five seasons. The 2013 Big South Men's and Women's Basketball Championships will be contested March 5-10 at The HTC Center in Conway, S.C. The women's tournament, which will include all 11 conference teams, begins with three firstround games on March 6. The trio of first-round winners and the tournament's top five seeded teams will advance to the quarterfinal round on March 8. The semifinals will follow on March 9, and the 2013 Big South women's basketball champion will be crowned on March 10. The Big South champion will then have two weeks off before the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship begins on March 23-24, with first-round contests.