Radford, Va. . -Katie Feenstra posted a double double and Liberty used a big first half run to defeat Radford, 77-55, and spoil senior for the Highlanders this evening from the Dedmon Center. RU led 10-6 at the 14:18 mark of the first half, but the Lady Flames went on a 15-0 run over the next 6:35 to pull away and finish the regular season, 21-6, 13-1 in the Big South.
Radford, who got 19 points from senior Taryn Causey (Collierville, Tenn.), fall to 12-15, 6-8 in the Conference. RU will now hit the road for the third straight season in the first round of the Big South Conference Tournament. The Highlanders, finishing as the sixth seed, will head to third-seeded UNC Asheville on Tuesday, March 8 at 7 pm.
Feenstra finished the game with 24 points, going 12-for-14 from the floor, with 10 rebounds and two blocks. Kristal Tharp and Jamie Feagan chipped in with eight and seven points respectively. The Lady Flames controlled the boards, outrebounding Radford, 45-28, and held the Highlanders to just 29 percent shooting, while they shot 54 percent.
For the Highlanders, Causey went a perfect 9-of-9 from charity stripe and has hit 137 this season, 10 shy of the single-season mark held by Shannan Wilkey. She also moved into ninth on the career charts with 254, two shy of eighth. Sophomore Shavon Earp (Hampton, Va.) added 15 points, on 5-of-8 shooting form the field.
After falling behind 2-0, Radford used a 10-4 run, sparked by threes by Earp and senior Jesse Brunjak (Ooltewah, Tenn.) to grab a 10-6 lead with 14:18 to go. The Lady Flames then quickly tied the game back-to-back layup by Feenstra and held Radford scoreless for the next 6:35 to take a commanding 21-10 with 8:11 to go in the half.
After freshman Serena White (Durham County, N.C.) ended the drought with a layup at 7:28, Liberty went closed out the half on a 14-5 run to take a 35-17 lead into the lockerroom. The Lady Flames shot 62.5 percent (15-24), while the Highlanders mustered just six field goals, shooting 19.4 percent. Feenstra finished with 14 points on 7-of-7 from the field.
In the second half, Liberty built its lead to as much as 34 (69-35) with 6:02 to go. Radford would outscored the Flames 20-8 over the final 5:51 to make the final margin, 77-55.
Along with Causey, Brunjak (5 pts, 3 rebounds) and fellow seniors Alisha Jones (two steals, 1 rebound, 1 block) and Holly Sharkey (4 pts, 5 rebounds) were honored prior to the game, as they played in their final home game in a Highlander uniform.
Liberty, seeded first, will host #8 Winthrop on Tuesday in the first round of the Big South Tournament in Lynchburg, Va. The semifinals and final will be played on Friday and Saturday, March 11 and 12 at the Vines Center in Lynchburg.
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