[WinthropEagleFan]

Big shots by Risher down the stretch....that was a fun game to watch since neither team ever had a big lead....

And Nate Ross was his annoying self once again on the telecast...at the end after Blair made the first FT to put LU up by 3, he said that he should miss the 2nd one......what? And he used to be a coach?

[TDDance234]

The crowd was weak. I'm proud to say I lost my voice, though.

[Sly Fox]

Final Stats:

VMI:
48% from Floor
Williams - 23
Murrer -12


LU:
41% from Floor
3-of-18 from behind the arc

Larry Blair - 23 Pts & 13 Rebs
Rell Porter - 12 Pts 8 Rebs
Damien Hubbard - 10 Pts
Anthony Smith - 9 Pts
Evan Risher - 9 Pts

Coach Dunton's Postgame Comments:

On what he told players after win: "Bottle how you feel in the morning. Then take that with you as you prepare for Monday against Asheville."

ON VMI's Defense: "Their defense was so soft it was disconcerting. That's how they played with Winthrop the other night."

On what he called during time out for final shot of game: "We wanted Evan to try and draw a foul on a drive. Evan called for the play after watching what happened to us in Charleston. I like seeing a player step up and ask for the challenge in crunch time. And he delivered."

What was the key tonight: I got the stat sheet at halftime and saw Evan's 5 assists and Larry's rebounds and I told them I didn't want to waste that type of effort. When your guards give you that kind of production it has a big impact."

Closing Comments: "I appreciate the community and the crowd coming out tonight. You really don't expect more than 25-hundred with the record we have. But hopefully they'll really turn out this Monday night. These kids are working hard and they'll practice well for Asheville We've been through almost suicide with us travelling for much of the last week and a half. I was really worried about whether our energy would be here tonight. But we really played hard."

[TDDance234]

We were sitting on the front row behind the Liberty bench and several times, Coach Dunton looked at us and said "come on" and motioned for more noise.

Outside of the 30-40 that were clapping from time to time, the students were dead. More students went nuts for the free t-shirts than the game.

But I have to admit, the little kids at halftime were worth the whole game. One kid juked about 6 kids, (two on his own team) clear out of their shorts.

[TallyW]

Those numbers on attendance seem pretty low for a school that's doubled enrollment in the last 8 years. Especially with the big push to get people in the seats tonight with the promotions we've seen on the board...

Hopefully we can string a few wins and get some more people out.

[Sly Fox]

Perhaps this win will encourage some of our students to come back to Monday's game. I understand how tough it is to carve time out of a college student's schedule .. particularly when a team is struggling. But now is the time when the team could use the boost the most.

[krh44]

Nice Win! Blair played with great hustle, nice to see Risher coming back. We had several sloppy turnovers that lead to easy baskets for them but hopefully we will take some momentum into Monday.

[givemethemic]

Coach D made one whale of a call tonight and let Evan take his man one-on-one....You guys are right about the students but everybody knows that a win will bring them back into the fold...Know if we can get the ball rolling on this homestand we should be able to make a run... we have always protected home court since Coach D has been here and I have no doubts that we will protect it again from here on out...

[Hold My Own]

Great win....a lot of run and gun basketball which I dont know how I feel about, on one hand it causes a lot of TO's b/c of our ability to handle the ball but on the other hand it didnt expose our troubles in the post...although I must say I've NEVER seen 2 positions in a row like VMI had and the Red Sea parted and allowed penetration straight to the hole...

Great win guys


about the students...Even when the students come it just seems like they don't know what to do...I mean really look around the next time there are a ton of student there and see what % even know there's a game going on...I think we need a "How to be a Fan 101"

[LUconn]

VMI plays a weird defense. It's like they double team randomly it seemed like. I couldn't make any sense of it. What ever it was though, it was pretty effective for a while.

As WEF said, the highlight of the night for me was Nate Ross: LU up 3 with 1.7 left and 1 foul shot he says "now, do you miss the shot on purpose here? Because think about it, the worst they could do is tie and send it to overtime" and the color man replys "yes I would" What the heck are you 2 thinking? If he makes it they're up 4 and the worst LU can do is win retards!

[LUconn]

I don't understand why students show up when we have a winning team and why they don't when we're not as good. It's always baffled me. When we're good, do they actually have something better to do that they're missing out on? Or is not showing up their way of punishing the team for not being good? I just don't get it.

As for the game itself, I really think the team is playing solid defense. They seem to have an occasional lapse where nobody does anything on defense but they're few and far between. Our offense, however, is not good. There's a lot of ball movement around the arch but that's about it. Russ had a couple of nice early baskets that surprised me. They were nice little turn around jumpers from about 5 feet out while doubled. And that in turn opened up Rell on the next few possestions. Whoever said a good big man would improve Rell's game looks like they were right (Scar maybe?). I'm not sure why we stopped going to Russell though, although it may have been a few of his fumbles. He's got a great shooting touch, he just doesn't have the soft hands to catch the ball, and often doesnt have the confidence to shoot it.

Anyway we looked much better last night and I'm sure the win will do wonders for the team's confidence. The only thing I'm a tad weary of is the fact that it was VMI and they're not that great.

[A.G.]

It was clear, Flames coach Randy Dunton had called an isolation play for Risher, his embattled point guard.

To me--that is a key comment in this morning's paper! Coach put his PG in a situation where he could experience a shot at success--and had BLAIR as a back-up option in case of a double team. FlameFans--that is simply great coaching and THAT, is how you get your players to produce. Well done, coach.

[TDDance234]

After those first two baby hooks from Russell, he was getting spanked every time he touched the ball. The refs were about as lopsided as they could get. One ref simply refused to call anything for us.

I think another problem with Russell is when he gets the ball, instead of going up strong, he ducks his head and dribbles. He had a 4-5 inch advantage on everyone on the court last night, turn around and square up for a little jumpshot off the glass.

[LUconn]

After those first two baby hooks from Russell, he was getting spanked every time he touched the ball. The refs were about as lopsided as they could get. One ref simply refused to call anything for us.

The reffing was going both ways in my opinion. I like it when they let them play, but I was concerned somebody was gonna get hurt. Bodies were all over the floor after having been knocked around at one point and nothing was called. That's dangerous.

[prototype]

I agree with TD - the one ref would not make a call for us and made several for VMI. The one that really stands out is the one Blair pumped, VMI player jumped and hit Blair as he shot - easy call, but no - that one ref didn't even give it a thought, until VMI went down and House( i think) missed a lay-up and they call Risher for a foul - the reply clearly showed that Richer ran past. It was stuff like that all night.

I agree about Russell. The guy has all the intangibles to be great. He plays well when he plays with passion and gets mad. Someone needs to crack the guy in the mouth before every quarter. Normally I would say before each game, but it's like he gets fired up and then the ridilyn kicks in. He needs to get it in his head that no body will be able to stop his baby hook, if he gets the ball on the low post, keeps the ball high and looks for a shot before a double team can come. He is not a great passer and they know if they pressure him - he will turn it over.

[TIMSCAR20]

I have not seen the game but I will watch it on TIVO tonight when I get back to the Burg. Knowing what to do at the end of a game is important for the TV Commentators. If they are wrong, it just makes you come badly. That is the reason why they always get former coaches and players to be color commentators. They want someone who has been in the situation to tell the viewing audience what both teams should do. Sounds like it was a fun game to call. I hope the student body comes out on Monday night! I know you guys will be tuned in on the internet....And AG, I think you meant to say coach Dunton had Blair as a backup option not Dees . I got excited for a moment when I read your post but I realized that the NCAA would not have let that happen LUConn that was me that said Rell is under appreciated due to a lack of good post play. This kid works as hard as anyone I have seen Since Erik Sorensen played beside Aluma in the mid 90's. Sorensen was 6-6 and couldn't jump very high but never took a play off and that is why he started for 4 years on a very good Liberty team. Rell is cut from that same mold and he will always play hard. I remember Sorensen would kill any coach, manager or whoever was in a drill and he had to screen them. He only had one speed and that was full blast! Great win for the Flames. Here is hoping that this is the start of a nice winning streak. VMI is better than what people give them credit for. Remember their coaching staff right now is short of a head coach and I think the 3 coaches combined ages are younger than Flameshaw . This was a good win against a scrappy confernce foe. Good to see Rish step up his game!

[Stevev]

No reason to get too excited about this win fellows. Remember its only VMI. No big deal.

[Sly Fox]

Come on, steve. Don't be the killjoy.



Seriously, I love seeing Rish turn his season around the past few games. This board was hard on him when he was struggling so its only fair to give him props when he deserves it.

[prototype]

Steve a win is a win. Every win is important for this young team right now. If we didn't win,you and 1ooo other people on this board would be talking about how bad the lose was to a bad VMI team - this win is good. They beat us bad in Lexington and we needed that win to help us from keeping to drop in the RPI.

[bigsmooth]

geez steve! VMI whipped us up at their place, and are vastly improved. give them some credit. anyway i got to listen to the game and it was a good win for our guys and hopefully we can gain some momentum and put a win streak together. i am very happy for rish, it may be the shot in the arm he needs to get his game going.

[Sly Fox]

Uuaslly PAmedic is all over posting the postmortems from Chris & whoever. Perhaps his ISP is down.

Struggling Risher makes winning shot for Liberty

By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
February 3, 2006

Larry Blair as a decoy?

Seriously?

No one in the Vines Center Thursday night could have considered the possibility. But there was Evan Risher, Liberty's sixth leading scorer, dribbling down the time. Twenty seconds, 10 seconds, six seconds. Risher still had the ball. It was clear, Flames coach Randy Dunton had called an isolation play for Risher, his embattled point guard.

And darn if he didn't make his coach proud.

Risher drained an 10-foot jumper with 1.7 seconds left to break a tie and give Liberty a 71-67 victory over VMI that snapped an eight-game skid and gave the Flames renewed hope for making the eight-team Big South tournament.

Even VMI coach Duggar Baucom, coaching his second game since missing most of January after a surgical procedure, was left scratching his noggin.

Baucom rattled off several statistics, including Risher's 32.6 shooting percentage, and concluded that Blair was the one who simply couldn't beat the Keydets in that situation.

"We didn't think (Risher) could beat us," Baucom said. "It goes to show what we think."

Blair still had a big enough role in the victory. He was still an option on the final play had the Keydets swarmed Risher with a double team, Dunton said. Plus, the last-second heroics would have never happened without Blair's heady play in the final minute.

Blair missed a contested 3-pointer with the score deadlocked at 67 but chased down the rebound. With his body in the backcourt but his feet in the air, he tipped the ball to Risher as Dunton furiously gestured for a timeout.

It was one of a season-high 13 rebounds for Blair, but this one took on added importance. Had VMI's Chavis Holmes picked the ball up, he would have had a clear path to the basket and could have given the Keydets (7-15, 2-7 Big South) the lead.

"I wasn't going to let him beat me to the ball," Blair said. "I was the last defender. If anything, I was going to get it and go out of bounds. But I wasn't going to let them get the ball."

Instead, Liberty (5-16, 2-7) had another chance. Risher wasn't going to waste it.

He's already let enough chances slip through his grip this season. He was the Flames' starting point guard in October only to lose the job when his confidence went south. An academic issue nearly rendered him ineligible for the season, and he continued to struggle into January, going scoreless in three straight games.

At Coastal Carolina last Saturday, Risher showed signs of an offensive breakout, scoring 17 points.

Even in the first half Thursday, he displayed some of the talents that Dunton was so high on. He up faked a defender at the 3-point line and powered his way to the basket for a strong layup. In the second half, Risher canned a 3-pointer from the left corner that gave LU a 67-64 lead.

"That's what Evan is good at," Blair said. "He's quick and he's strong and aggressive. It's nothing new to us. Maybe it is for the people who haven't seen him.

"We know what kind of player he is."

When the opportunity for the game-winning shot came, Risher relished the confidence his coaches and teammates put in him and calmly sank the jumper.

"My team trusted me and the coaching staff trusted me," Risher said. "It felt real good."

Blair and VMI's Reggie Williams, ranked Nos. 1 and 3 in the Big South in scoring, each scored 23 points. Risher's eight assists were a season high and Liberty outrebounded the Keydets 42-38. In the first meeting, an 84-68 VMI win in Lexington Jan. 14 that really wasn't that close, the Keydets dominated the glass by a 46-30 margin.

"We just went through a tough stretch and played five of those games on the road and dropped two at home that we could have won," Dunton said. "We could get six or seven wins on this side of the bracket if the kids really buck up and play. ? This team could still be very dangerous."

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

[Stevev]

I have to admit I was just a little happy about the win (more relieved than anything). But again it is only VMI. No big deal. Now if it would have been Richmond, George Mason, ODU, or UNCW then it would be reason for some excitement possibly reason to celebrate a little. But VMI at home. Come now! Since when did we lower our standards to what we consider a big win.

[TIMSCAR20]

Steve, you clearly don't understand the dynamics of sports. When a team is struggling to win, any win is big. Plus the fact that the choice last night was beat VMI, or lose to VMI and we chose to beat them. We didn't play Richmond, JMU or any of the other schools you mentioned. VMI may be 2-7 on the year but ask Winthrop how good this VMI team is as they nearly lost to them the other night in Lexington. The truth is our team has struggled but we have a lot of home games left to play and can still make a run. That win last night goes a long way towards that. When you have a losing streak, any win that snaps it is a big win. I don't think the story will lead off the 6 PM Sports Center tonight but surely you see how significant this was in terms of this season and the overall psychy of a young team right?

[Stevev]

Hopefully it will give the team a little boost to spark some interest amoungst the fans in Lynchburg. I guess it is a start if anything considering the lack of fan support or success this year. But lets keep this in perspective because, God forbid, that we lower our standards.

[TIMSCAR20]

Steve, I agree. I don't think anyone is throwing a parade over this and we definitely don't want to lower our standards. But we have to acknowledge where we are and taking steps (even baby ones0 towards improvement should be acknowleged. This win is not going on the list on the other thread the HMO started about the 5 biggest wins .