[thepostman]

what a fun game to watch tonight...the 1st half was rough to watch at times, but they came out i nthe second half and turned it up a notch...

they are starting to run more and I love it...

they still have their half court sets which is something they need as well...but they are so good in the open court...

I know I have been critical of Dwight, not because he hasn't been good, but because of him not being as good as advertised...well he is really coming around...and we will be just fine next season...

I like the Coach Dunton has made adjustments...after all the criticizing a lot of us did on his coaching we need to give him credit...he has let the guys play a little bit....

I am not expecting us to beat WU...but you never know..we are playing well and you never know what can happen in conference play...even so I know they will give WU a better game this time around

As for the crowd, like most have said that were there...easily 4,000....the people that stand at the student section entrance don't really pay attention, so if they count that way I can see how they could make the mistake...but it was half full, and the student were loud!! it was great...next Saturday will be fun

I have heard about this big feeding SJ...if it all comes together it could help a ton in bringing people out

[BJWilliams]

I ran into sportscritic as I was leaving Vines tonight (had to get ready to do my radio show at 9 PM so I caught the last part of the game on the webcast (the video went out just as I was playing the open for the show). But I was there to watch Dwight's first slam dunk...I told critic as I was leaving "I didn't realize Brew (strike Superman pose) could fly..." He got a chuckle out of it

[bigsmooth]

a very nicew in for the guys last night. i sat with LB's dad last night and had a really good conversation about LB's experience at liberty, and he told me that he loved liberty, and if he ever did make it big that he would get as many tickets he could to give to people at LU...that is just the type of guy larry is. anyway some pints on the game:

1. more than the listed attendance. the students were great, and the L-U chant across the vines was great!
2. rell porter is a freakin warrior, he played great defense, and the times he was macthed up against AZ he shut him down. rell was all over the floor, and just doing the little things that you do not see in the box score
3. brew was great...his dunks are simply showtime. being the 6th man i think suits him well
4. this team need to continue the up-tempo style! we can really be a force if we continue to do this
5. the blimp needs work! it got stuck about the sound board above the court.

and for all the haters.....when we are winning, we never hear a peep from you, so give credit where credit is due. im not saying the D is the savior, but he made the necessary adjustments and the guys are playing much better. you guys are so quick to be negative but never accentuate the positive...ya know what i like it better when you hacks are not here. let's hope for an upset in rock hill on tuesday!

[lureal]

What a game! LU...LU...LU...LU

[lureal]

we played the number one team in the nation in florida, who is beating SEC teams on their own floor worse then they beat our guys. BYU beat the 25 ranked team in the nation UNLV 90-63 last night. Oklahoma beat Texas Tech yesterday and Seton Hall is playing tough in the Big East. Throw in the inexperience of Alex McClean who can be the Hulk or sit around and sulk, Tyler's, BJ's growing pains.
Smitty's inconsistency. Dwight's major transition on and off the court. LB finding himself on both ends.
Lack of a true pt. guard. All teams deals with some level of these issues but this team is growing and starting to find its chemistry A.D.(after Dwight). Coach D has made adjustments in roles but the big key is in the player's understanding of preparation, scouting report and defense. as Coach says if they get stops then they can run. last night was a prime example in the second half Rell and the boys giving High Point the business on 'd' and brew, lb and bj killing them in transition. i will keep supporting the staff and guys and believe the best is yet to come.

[Purple Haize]

wasn't at the game but it sounds like the second half was pretty spectacular. Hopefully, the VMI game provided some insight for our guys (see MUCh longer post on this in VMI thread) and coach will make this mid season change in style permanent for the team. Obviously it is working.

[TIMSCAR20]

Wow, tons to read so now I finally get to comment. BJ Williams stole my Superman comment I had a superman theme going last night. When Bart Lundy went crazy and took his glasses off and loosed up his tie, then moments later he was back in order, I said he did a reverse superman by turning back into Clark Kent....I always call Brew superman when he comes into the game because he rips his warmups off when he is running to the table like a superhero on his way to rescue someone...LB didn't play real well but still got to 20 on the FT Line. He got there a lot late though because HPU had to foul. AZ is a beast and he is my boy What a luxury to be able to bring a guy like Brew off the bench...I thought I heard somewhere that the big south was doing a 6th man award this season. If so, KK should have dropped it off in the Vines last night (he was there btw). The crowd was over 4000 easy but I am not a KK basher (Kevin Keys) like some. I couldn't hear myself talk during the game. SJ and TBGBG group gave me much love last night and I appreciate it....The post game meal of 18-20 at Hams was a lot of fun too! Medic, Sly, I am prohibited from mentioning flamefans.com on telecasts going forward, so that is why I didn't hit you guys off with a shout. I can use your real names if you wish but I don't know if anyone would know who I was talking about if I said hello to Darien and Randy The Flames are playing great. Hopefully the team that showed up last night will make the trip down to Rock Hill. Playing on the road is just different but I hope they can adjust....SCARVISION will be Cartervision on Saturday afternoon. I don't know if I will be there or not. I may just sit with Lang at press row or with MRS SCAR in the cushioned seats. I should put on my hockey jersey and sit with the rowdies but I would look too unprofessional...Well if Bruce Pearl can do it so can I!!! I really want to see the Running Roos of VMI on Sat but they play at noon and we play at 1. I could just stay in Richmond and avoid the conflict...No I will be in the Vines...Lastly, the Kevin Keys bashing thread should be stopped IMO.

[jmdickens]

and for all the haters.....when we are winning, we never hear a peep from you, so give credit where credit is due. im not saying the D is the savior, but he made the necessary adjustments and the guys are playing much better. you guys are so quick to be negative but never accentuate the positive...ya know what i like it better when you hacks are not here. let's hope for an upset in rock hill on tuesday!

I will say this, "The coaching staff did a great job last night"

I can't say more b/c I was at my second job and was unable to attend the game, that is why you can't hear anything out of me

[TDDance234]

Glad Smoothie pointed out Rell's warrioness. He was a huge spark for the team in several places, even with a behind-the-head flip to Brew for an easy layup. He played well against AZ but man, that guy is unstoppable. Very very good player.

[PAmedic]

Video feed: I've been told that the FTN guys haven't set the timer long enough to cover the length of the broadcast. It should be fixed for Monday's women's game.

that was absolutely inexcusable.
it was bad enough that it happened vs VMI, but to happen AGAIN last night-

some very not-pretty words eminating thru my man-cave last night

(YES- I KNOW IT WAS FREE- but thats like giving someone a broken Matchbox car for Christmas)

[SuperJon]

You could come to a game...

[PAmedic]

It sure seemed like the crowd increased as the game went on tonight ... much like earlier this week. I'm not sure how many were there, but those that were produced much more noise and energy.

gotta side w/ SLY- on video- you could see the majority of the arena AROUND THE TOP was empty AT THE BEGINNING up to halftime or so. It DID fill in later, but I'm sure someone "counted" by then.

(read: ESTIMATED)

[Sly Fox]

Come on, Scar. You can get creative in your shout outs. If Brew posterizes some HPU stiff off the bench ... "Someone get that kid a Medic" or when Tyler picks another PG half his size near midcourt again (what was up with that?) than you can drop a Tyler's sly as a fox" without raising an eyebrow.

There were so many positives last night that I feel I'd not do everyone justice if I tried to list them. Let's just that while its too easy to point our Brew's sensational performance, I was cheering loudest for Rell & BJ in the game thread for their efforts. It wasn't just the numbers they posted, but when they posted them. In the first half when LB was saddled on the bench with those two quick fouls and Brew hadn't found a rhythm yet, Rell was practically carrying the team on his back with his hustle, boards and those offensive moves. Where did those come from, Rell? It was like he was back in Pittsburg eating those other East Texas scrubs alive once again. And BJ reminded me of a guy that played at Baylor once upon a time before becoming a Bad Boy ... he was like microwave because the instant he came into the game he heated things up.

I'm going on record as saying I believe we can win in Rock Hill. Perhaps I'm intoxicated by these past couple of games but I honestly feel it can be done. The guys have regained their confidence that had been shattered before the Eagles came to Lynchburg. Coach D has made some great adjustments that are paying major dividends. Based on what they did to us at our place, the Eagles are perhaps going to be overly confident in their place. It all adds up to a recipe for an upset. I'm not saying its absolutely going to happen because we have to play with the type of fire we've enjoyed lately in these home games. And Winthrop is so good that even on an off night that can beat most everyone else. But they aren't invincible.

[PAmedic]

what does Brew pub mean?

Brew

Pub

umm. fermented beverages?

and I can't claim it- I got it from the boys at Providence.

[PAmedic]

Come on, Scar. You can get creative in your shout outs. If Brew posterizes some HPU stiff off the bench ... "Someone get that kid a Medic" ...

I would fall off my chair

***

...I was cheering loudest for Rell & BJ in the game thread for their efforts. It wasn't just the numbers they posted, but when they posted them. In the first half when LB was saddled on the bench with those two quick fouls and Brew hadn't found a rhythm yet, Rell was practically carrying the team on his back with his hustle, boards and those offensive moves. Where did those come from, Rell? ...

I gotta be honest- I was absolutely stunned because my thoughts (when LB had to sit) were- "TIME FOR THE BENCH TO STEP UP"
but to tell you the truth, I didn't know if they could really do it.

I WAS WRONG

thank God

[Sly Fox]

Oh yeah, here is Chris' recap:

LU's Brewington picks up slack for Blair

By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
February 4, 2007

Opponents have enough trouble defending Liberty when Larry Blair is in "unguardable" mode. High Point coach Bart Lundy is well aware of that fact. Blair's last three games against the Panthers: 26 points, 31 points, 38 points.

But Blair was oddly silent in the first half of LU's convincing 96-79 victory over High Point on Saturday night at Vines Center. He picked up two quick offensive fouls and played six scoreless first-half minutes.

That's usually a recipe for disaster for the Flames. But now that Dwight Brewington has found his groove, that's no longer the case. Brewington torched the Panthers, especially during a three-minute span of the second half when he scored eight straight points to give Liberty the lead for good. Brewington had 28 points on 12 of 18 shooting, scoring in a variety of ways - tip-ins around the basket, drives, reverse layups, a 3-pointer and a couple of thunderous dunks - that excited the crowd of 3,362.

"We got in transition, and Brewington got going," Liberty coach Randy Dunton said. "Brewington got going to the rim and Larry got going by hitting some shots (in the second half). When those two get going, and Alex (McLean) is making good decisions in the post, then Liberty's pretty good."

The Flames (11-12, 5-4 Big South) have won four straight and remained in a third-place tie with Coastal Carolina. LU and Coastal are two games clear of VMI and UNC Asheville, the teams tied for fifth. The top four teams host first-round conference tournament games.

High Point (16-8, 7-2) lost for the first time in five Big South road games.

Liberty travels Tuesday to league-leading Winthrop, which should give the Flames a picture of how far they've come since starting conference play 1-4. A 68-40 home loss to the Eagles on Jan. 13 was the low point of Liberty's season.

"We took a step back that night," Brewington said.

Instead of backsliding, Liberty started to turn things around at High Point four nights after the Winthrop game. Though LU lost at High Point and Coastal, the Flames were in both games until the closing minutes. Since beating Charleston Southern to end a 21-game road losing streak, the Flames have returned home and played their best basketball of the season.

The reason isn't a secret.

Brewington has embraced his role as a key reserve for the Flames. Instead of cutting his playing time, the move to the bench has maximized it. With a rotation of Brewington, Blair and Anthony Smith at two wing spots, Liberty has two playmakers on the floor at all times.

As Brewington has grown more comfortable in his role, his production has skyrocketed. He's either led or tied for the team lead in scoring the last three games.

Liberty shot 59 percent and defended aggressively, cutting off driving lanes for agile High Point guards Landon Quick and Mike Jefferson. The Flames were content to give Arizona Reid his points, and the junior forward didn't disappoint. He had 32 points and 10 rebounds and hit four of his five 3-point attempts, three of them coming on plays where Liberty raced back to prevent High Point's guards from penetrating, only to have a trailing Reid hit a 3 from the top of the key.

The Flames' defensive intensity in the first 10 minutes of the second half turned the game in their favor. Forward Rell Porter was "a warrior," Dunton said, denying Reid touches, getting deflections and jumpstarting Liberty's transition game.

The Flames scored 63 points in the second half, including 38 points in the paint.

"We stopped playing defense. We fell apart and Liberty stayed together," Reid said. "We're not a good enough team to come in and just expect to win, especially in a place like this."

A Brewington bucket with 14:55 left opened a 10-0 run and gave the Flames the lead for good at 43-42. High Point drew within 51-47 on Troy Bowen's basket with 11:14 left, but the Flames scored the next six points to push the lead to 10. LU led by as many as 21.

Blair scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half and moved past Radford's Doug Day into second place on the Big South's all-time scoring list. McLean had 16 points and 10 rebounds and B.J. Jenkins scored 12 points, including six in the first half when he played in place of the foul-plagued Blair.

http://newsadvance.com/servlet/Satellit ... th=!sports

[mrich]

Great win last night. Obviously, the whole season is in the balance. I really like Bj in there running the point, Hubbard PT needs to be limited. I know that the name Larry Blair is equal with Jesus to some of you, but I can't stand his shot selection. Yeah he makes some, but alot of times it is an easy rebound for the other team. He needs to take shots in the flow of the offence, something that he can't do. I think last year really hurt him. He needs his 20pts everynight no matter what. Great game though. I think that Radford away, and CCU home are the games that are going to determine everything. Everyone seems to think that RU is going to be easy. I can't remember the last time we won there. VMI is also going to be a very difficult win. Not telling you guys anything you don't know though.

[BJWilliams]

According to the media guide we have not beaten Radford at Radford since 1997

[PAmedic]

I know that the name Larry Blair is equal with Jesus to some of you,... I think last year really hurt him...

that may be a TAD bit of an overstatement

I agree that last year hurt him- he got used to being the go-to guy, the ONLY weapon. he hasn't gotten past that yet- IMHO.

I had the same thought about AZ last night- the guy obviously takes the whole game/team on his shoulders. If all goes well- you win. If all does NOT- you foul out and your team loses.

[TIMSCAR20]

Come on, Scar. You can get creative in your shout outs. If Brew posterizes some HPU stiff off the bench ... "Someone get that kid a Medic" or when Tyler picks another PG half his size near midcourt again (what was up with that?) than you can drop a Tyler's sly as a fox" without raising an eyebrow.

You must have been listening to me and MRS SCAR today because we had a similar conversation. I had the Medic idea and I have already used the Tyler Baker's gonna be Great line in a game already.

[whmatthews]

The game was great and the atmosphere was awesome.
Had a good time doing the L-U back and forth with Bakers Bunch.
When they played the "dah-dah-dah HEY" song, Russell's fan club (who was beside us) added the "YOU SUCK" until Dwayne Carson came over and scolded them... thought that was pretty funny.
Arizona had a cramp at one point in the game and was on the ground with the trainer stretching it out. Since it was on our side and Jon had the LB > AZ sign on the other, I gave him an earful on how he'll never be better than Larry Blair.
The guy beside me had a Notre Dame hat on and I believe Scar said something like "We have a confused fan, he doesn't know if he's Catholic or Christian." He told me today he thought that was hillarious (He recorded the game just to see if he would be on TV).
And, I made this sign:

[Cider Jim]

I missed most of the game because I was out of town. Did we have any cow bell music during a time out?

[SuperJon]

Will, during the Hey Song we changed it to "Chuck! You Suck!" yelling at one of the refs. He was horrible. He even started jawing with TBGBG.

[LU'sbestmanager]

you guys should do it on your on your own. have you heard the other schools do that before?

the players liked that poster Matthews.

[SuperJon]

The Hey Song on our own? That's pretty gay.