[Realist]

34-22 half BSC

Get hot Larry.

[Sly Fox]

Its sad we have to have a game thread started by a WU fan.

Yeah, Larry's going to be on fire for us to shock the big South in the second half.

[A.G.]

Wednesday night--everyone must be in church.

HPU 73 VMI 72. That would've been a big kink in our post-season plans
WU 78 UNCA 65. That one doesn't affect us.
BSU blowing us out 60-42 with about 4 to go.

[RubberMallet]

and in other news we are the 7th worst team in the nation

[Sly Fox]

We lost 68-56. Thank you HP for holding on by a point.

[WinthropEagleFan]

We lost 68-56. Thank you HP for holding on by a point.

It wasn't just holding on...it was making a lay-up at the buzzer to win when they were behind...

[Sly Fox]

Even better.

[Rocketfan]

I mean while i want us to make the tourney, is it going to feel better or worse if we get blown out in the first round? We just haven't shown lately that we can't compete on the road, and its not like we are playing on a neutral court like in some years past (when the tourney begins). I want them to make the tourney.....but making a game of it down the stretch would be nice as well.

[TDDance234]

Making the NCAA's is always a good thing, whether you get blown out or not.

It's exposure for Liberty and the more exposure on a national level we get, the greater the recruiting channel opens. Not to mention, a platform to talk about Liberty's devotion to following Christ.

While we probably have slim-to-none chance, it's always an accomplishment, even if we're 6-18 or 18-6.

[A.G.]

Me thinks Rocketfan is talking about making the BIG SOUTH tournament, not the NCAA.

[TallyW]

Me agrees with A.G. however, TD may be thinking we can get into the BSC tourney and win it to get to the NCAA's.

I must admit TD... I can't see that happening. So the question that Rocketfan offers is "Is it better to make the BSC tourney just to get blown out again? Or is it better to close up shop and start talking about next year?

[LUconn]

They answer is "yes". Why on earth would you not want to make the BSC touney? Wanting to be in last place to avoid a potential blow out is loser talk.

[Rocketfan]

I don't want to be in last place either, all i am saying is we are pushing and supporting hard for a game which no or close to no LU fans will attend. Its just hard as a fan to get your hopes up when you would have to win 3-4 road games to make it to the tourney (which i doubt has ever been done). While i think it would show great progess if they could win one or two, don't be suprised if we do make the BS tourney and it ends real quick. I mean remember during our run to the NCAA tourney that year i think we lost like one home game and now playing the 1 seed in the tourney the tables will be totally the opposite.

[WinthropEagleFan]

No matter the odds...I'd have to think that you guys would at least want the chance to compete in the conference tourney rather than sit at home.

[TDDance234]

Sorry, I was confused.

I thought he was talking about the NCAA tourney. I wasn't assuming we'd make the big dance, just thinking how great it would be for the school if we did.

Got a little mixed up.

[PAmedic]

Panthers Use Three-Pointers To Down Flames In Big South Action

February 15, 2006 · Birmingham, Ala.

The Panthers proved why they are the Big South’s leading three-point shooting team as Birmingham-Southern used eight three-pointers to key a 68-56 conference victory over Liberty, Wednesday evening, at Bill Battle Coliseum.

With the victory, Birmingham-Southern ups its conference record to 11-2 on the year (18-6 overall), pushing their home winning streak to 15-straight games, while the loss drops Liberty’s league record to 2-10 on the season (6-19 overall).

The Flames jumped out to a quick lead early in the contest as Liberty scored four out of the first five points of the game, taking a 5-1 lead on a Evan Risher (So., G, Fort Worth, Texas) jumper at the 17:04 mark. But Birmingham-Southern quickly got back into the game as the Panthers started to find their range from behind the arc with back-to-back three pointers by James Collins with the second one coming at 15:05 to cut the Flames’ lead to 8-7.

A pair of free throws by Bucky McMillan 50 seconds later gave the Panthers their first lead of the game, while another trey by Thomas Viglianco at the 12:19 mark pushed the home team’s advantage to five points, 14-9. A fast-break dunk by Russell Monroe (So., C, Alma, Mich.) 50 seconds later pulled the Flames back within four points, 15-11, but that would be the third-to-last field goal that Liberty would hit over the last 12 minutes of the first half.

A lay-up by Viglianco at the 7:54 mark pushed the Panthers lead to nine points, 22-13, while Monroe pulled down an offensive rebound and got a stick-back lay-up on the following possession.

McMillian converted on one of two free throw attempts with 1:13 left to play to give the Panthers their largest lead of the opening period at 14 points, 34-20, before Larry Blair (Jr., G, Charlotte, N.C.) scored on a lay with one minute left in the half to trim the deficit back to 12 points, 34-22, at the break.

A lay-up by McMillian two minutes into the second half pushed the Panthers’ lead to 16 points, 40-24, but the Flames didn’t quit as Liberty slowly chipped away at the lead and cut Birmingham-Southern’s advantage back to nine points, 46-37, on a Doug Stewart (So., F, Sanford, N.C.) trey with 12:32 left to play.

The Panthers responded by scoring 10 out the next 13 points to open up a 17-point lead, 56-39, on an old fashion three-point play by Sredrick Powe at the 6:13 mark. But the resilient Flames made one last push to get back into the contest with a 15-6 run, cutting the Panthers’ lead back to eight points, 62-54, on a pair of free throws by Risher at the 1:48 mark.

But Ed Horton sank two free throws and converted on two lay-ups over the remainder of the contest to seal the victory for the homestanding Panthers.

James Collins paced the way for Birmingham-Southern as he came off the bench to score 20 points as he was 7-of-10 from the field, including 6-of-8 from three-point range, helping the Panthers shoot 44.4 percent from long range for the game (8-of-18).

Powe followed with a double-double as he scored 15 points and pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds, while Horton added 11 points.

Blair led the Flames with 18 points as he was 7-of-19 from the field, while Anthony Smith (Fr., G, Plano, Texas) followed with 12 points and Risher added 10.

The Flames return to action on Saturday when they travel to Radford, Va. to face arch rival Radford in the Dedmon Center. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 2 p.m. and will be televised LIVE on the Big South Television Network.

we actually got beat by a kid named Bucky