FGCU women's basketball faces streaking Liberty in ASUN Tournament championship
In every season the FGCU women’s basketball team has been eligible to compete in the ASUN Tournament, 12 to be exact, the Eagles have advanced to the championship game.
This year is no exception as the top-seeded Eagles will host second-seeded Liberty at 7 p.m. Saturday in the conference title game at Alico Arena.
FGCU, ranked No. 23 in the latest USA TODAY coaches’ poll, is the prohibitive favorite to win its ninth outright ASUN championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year.
But it won’t be easy.
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The Flames (24-7) are one of the hottest teams in the nation and will carry a 16-game winning streak into Saturday’s game. They also handed the Eagles their lone conference loss of the regular season, an 88-78 overtime setback on Jan. 21 at Liberty Arena. FGCU led by five points with 26 seconds left in regulation but was outscored 20-5 the rest of the way. The 88 points were the most allowed by the Eagles to an ASUN opponent since 2010 when East Tennessee State also reached that mark in a five-point win.
While the Eagles shouldn’t need any additional motivation for Saturday’s championship showdown, fifth-year senior guard Tishara Morehouse said that last meeting with the Flames is still on the team’s collective mind.
“I think we all see this as a type of rival game, a revenge game,” said Morehouse, FGCU’s leading scorer and the ASUN Women’s Basketball Player of the Year. “We didn’t play well. Going into overtime and losing that was really tough for us.
“So we’re kind of coming in with a chip on our shoulder and we’re really motivated for this game.”
Liberty, which is joining Conference USA next season, would like nothing better than to claim its first outright ASUN Tournament championship on its way out the door. In 2020, the Flames were declared co-champions along with FGCU after the tournament title game was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Liberty is coming off an 84-56 win over third-seeded Lipscomb in the ASUN quarterfinals that saw the Flames jump out to a 19-0 lead. The Eagles' quarterfinal matchup was a more competitive matchup as FGCU (31-3) put the defensive clamps down on fourth-seeded Austin Peay, holding the Governors to 13 second-half points in a 51-34 victory.
More:FGCU women open ASUN title defense with commanding win over Liberty
Liberty boasts a balanced offensive attack led by first-team All-Conference center Mya Berkman. The 6-foot-3 redshirt senior is the Flames’ top scorer (14.7 points per game) and rebounder (8.4) and shoots 70% from the field. Sophomore guard Emma Hess averages 8.5 points per game and is Liberty’s top 3-point shooter.
Three other players average at least 7 points per game for the Flames, including 6-foot-6 redshirt sophomore Bella Smuda.
“They’re very deep, they’ve got good size inside, they’ve got good shooters on the perimeter, and they’ve got players that can attack and get to the rim,” FGCU coach Karl Smesko said. “So the versatility to the skill of their players is really impressive. It’s going to take a great effort defensively again if we’re going to complete what we’re hoping will be a tournament championship.”
The Eagles boast both the top-scoring offense (77.9 points per game) and stingiest defense (55.7 points) in the ASUN. Liberty is third in offense (70 points) and fifth in defense (61.6 points).
One advantage the Flames could exploit against FGCU is rebounding. Liberty is third in the ASUN in both total rebounding (39.4) and offensive boards (12.3). The Eagles average 25.5 rebounds per game, seventh in the ASUN, and are last in the conference in offensive rebounds (7.9).
This will be the seventh ASUN Tournament championship game at Alico Arena. FGCU is 5-1 in home title games with the lone blemish a 56-54 loss to No. 2 seed Jacksonville in 2016.
Smesko said he’s counting on the Eagles’ faithful to help create a challenging atmosphere for Liberty on Saturday night.
“We know we’re playing a great team and it should be a great game,” he said. “We’re really hoping this whole place is packed and loud and it can provide a homecourt advantage for us.”
Liberty (24-7) at FGCU women (31-3)
When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
Where: Alico Arena
Series: FGCU leads 11-1
Last Meeting: Liberty 88, FGCU 78 OT (Feb. 18 at Liberty Arena)
Leaders: Liberty – Mya Berkman (14.7 points, 8.4 rebounds), Emma Hess (8.5 points, 2.2 rebounds), Dee Brown (8.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists. FGCU – Tishara Morehouse (15.9 points, 4.6 assists, 2 steals), Sha Carter (13.9 points, 6.2 rebounds), Alyza Winston (12.9 points, 2.5 rebounds).
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: FGCU women's basketball team play for ASUN championship against Liberty
