[SuperJon]

Medic, I was in shorts from Scar's coaching days (Aluma's to be exact) and two headbands, not just one. I couldn't find the wig and didn't have time for face paint.

The sign said, "Hey Scar, Mach3 or Fusion?" and had "FlameFans.com" at the bottom of it. He saw it early and we kept trying to get it on, then it was shown and we didn't realize it at first. They zoomed in on his head a few times. Let's just say it was the first of the nightly Scar signs. I've got a few ideas. The funny thing is he had hair when we went to VMI earlier today.

We played pretty good. I was sitting with Baker's Bunch (the only people that stood up the whole time) and they always chant Tyler's name after he makes a shot. We were chanting it and some chick yells, "He's not the only player on the team!" at us. I was seriously tempted to yell back, "Alright, then you cheer for that other person."

Alex and Rell made threes. What the heck?

My throat hurts.

Negative thing: We didn't have a single concession stand open until 5 minutes before the game. I was sitting with Mrs. Scar and talking to her and she pointed it out. Right after she pointed it out the PA guy made an announcement about the concession stands and we didn't even have one open at the time. We finally opened up one window at one concession stand and the line at halftime was long as crap.


LUconn, I didn't even realize that was you during the tour of the locker room. Me and Manson were trying to figure out who you were but didn't know.

The locker room looks nice. I ran out of here in such a hurry after the VMI game that I forgot my camera. I'll try to get down there sometime and get a picture for you guys. There's an LU marked out in tile on the floor and in the showers.

I'm guessing we win anything between one and three games during this upcoming road trip. I figure Brew will completely go off one game and have an "I'm back" game. This team is good and has the chance to shock some people. I want to see how Brew works into the mix. I believe the hype, I just haven't bought into yet. I have to see it before I completely buy it.

Larry made some very bad passes tonight. We kept joking that he hasn't had to pass in four years so he forgot how to. He also took some wild shots which he has to learn he doesn't have to do anymore. We've got guys around him that can score. He's great, but he doesn't have to average 25 points a night anymore. He can average 17 or so with Alex averaging that much and other people chipping in. It's a different person every night.

There was definitely more than 2000 people there.

One thing that completely ticked me off was when I found out that OUR students and OUR fans were trying to get Jonathan Snively (the kid that walks around and yells a lot) to sit down. They tried to get LUPD and game management to tell him to sit down. He came over and told us that so we had him stand with us and cheer the rest of the game. If they had half of the heart or passion that that kid does then we would have one of the most enthusiastic student bodies in the nation. I'll admit I've made some jokes about the kid and have laughed at some of the stuff he has done but he has a passion for LU athletics like no other student on campus.

BJ Jenkins' little brother was chanting "De-fense clapclap De-fense" when we had the ball in the 2nd half. We told him to wait til they had the ball and he looked kind of embarassed and said sorry. So, to make up for it, we had him stand with us the rest of the game and cheer with us. He stood next to me. For the last minute or so I let him shake my keys with everyone else since he didn't have any. I didn't know until after the game was over that it was BJ's little brother. He's gonna come back and sit with us at other games, and that's what college athletics are all about.

[ATrain]

Yeah, Snively is a great guy...if the leadership on our hall had half that same passion at the games he had, it'd be great. Why doesn't anyone stand up anymore? I remember standing up at games for the past 3 years...eesh.

[Purple Haize]

Im just happy they covered the spread!! Have a Pioneer plasma I am looking at. What is this 6 in a row? And 3 against D1 teams? Our NAIA ranking should be monster!! So far the scheduling is paying off nicely. It appears our competion is getting theoretically better and we are responding accordingly. Have to see the spread on the next game

[thepostman]

seriously SJ this is the weakest group of fans i have ever seen at LU basketball...all season long its been like this....my first 3 basketball seasons here there were always people in the center section about 15 to 20 rows up standing the WHOLE game and going crazy...it died off a little as the season went on last year, but i mean now...its just ridiculous

as for that crazy LU fan....he may be odd but he cracks me up....he is half the reason why i go to game (ok so not really).....whoever is complaining about him should never be let in the Vines Center again for a game...he is the reason why i was glad someone stole that Longwood fan's wig...because that kid from longwood was making fun of him non stop....so obnoxious

anyways....I say next home game all of us at flamefans get together and make it our goal to get the place as loud as possible...and though i am much quieter in my old age, i will be game....

[SuperJon]

I'm sitting, well, standing, down in Baker's Bunch. We have a good time.

[TDDance234]

I enjoy standing and cheering as much as the rest of you, but that kid is flat out annoying and needs to sit down. He does nothing but embarass himself the whole time.

At Christmas Convo the other day he was running around like an idiot for no reason. He can cheer and "lead" the cheers from his seat. His bit is getting annoying.

[SuperJon]

I'll agree that the walking around is a little much, but if he stays at his seat then no one should complain.

[TDDance234]

It's not that he just "walks" around -- he runs. It's just obnoxious.

[thepostman]

in Orlando there is this guy known as the "fat man" he is the rich lawyer guy that has had season tickets to the Orlando Magic since 1989, the first season....to get the crowed amped up he will run around the entire lower bowl area wearing this glittery shirt...he isn't hired by the magic...just a dedicated fan....people love him in Orlando and always look for the fat man when they go to the games....now this kid may be annoying to some...but i think its great personally and entertaining...and i really think you guys are seriously being way too uptight...if some old guy from Orlando who weighs 300 pounds can do it at an nba game why can't a kid walk back and forth trying to get the crowd into at liberty games??? then again, this is liberty, where i sometimes wonder if any athletic traditions will begin...not because of the administration, but because too many people get annoyed at fans actually caring and getting into the games....this is the main reason why you no longer see me down front at games....so many times me and the rest of the guys i use to go to games with got yelled at by uptight idiots that don't understand what college athletics is about...

there is my rant....i am sure someone will get upset with me, but i really don't care....

[TDDance234]

He's annoying. The fat man in Orlando is annoying. Stay in your seat and cheer on your team like the rest of us. Cheering for your university doesn't always have to involve running around jumping like an idiot.

[thepostman]

whatever dude...the people in orlando love this guy...the place gets so loud when he does his run around the arena bit....but whatever...so much for liberty athletic traditions...

[Sly Fox]

From Chris in the morning fishwrap:

Porter boosts Liberty past Longwood

By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
December 9, 2006

Rell Porter was in Liberty's starting lineup Saturday against Longwood. He may not be there next Saturday at St. Francis (Pa.). He's not sure. Neither is Liberty coach Randy Dunton, who has a week of practice to sort out what will happen to his starting five once Dwight Brewington becomes eligible.

Porter offered a reminder of how valuable of a player he can be in an 89-61 rout of the Lancers at Vines Center. The 6-foot-7 forward scored 10 points, grabbed eight rebounds and played effective defense without being overly aggressive.

Normally saddled with foul trouble, Porter didn't pick up his second foul until late in the second half, about 33 minutes after the game ceased to be a competitive affair.

The Flames (6-1), who started slow in their last two home games, built a double-digit lead in the game's first three minutes and never led by less than eight after that.

Porter was a big part of the fast start. After Longwood (3-8 ) took its only lead at 5-4, Porter canned a 3-pointer from the right wing, spurring an 11-0 run over the next 1:11 that essentially sealed the game.

"I wanted to get going offensively so I could take the burden off other people," said Porter, who averaged 3.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in Liberty's first six games. "I just wanted to come in and be a threat."

Longwood double teamed Liberty forward Alex McLean, who still finished with 17 points, leaving Porter and Tyler Baker open on the perimeter. The two combined to hit 4 of 6 3-point attempts and played solid defense on Longwood's Clayton Morgan, who was held to five points on 1 of 5 shooting.

Longwood was better than Liberty at alley-oops Saturday, with Kirk Williams finishing one on a nice pass from Kevin Swecker in the second half. (Liberty failed to connect on three alley-oop tries). But that was the extent of the positives for the Lancers, who came off a tough loss at High Point on Wednesday in which they led by 10 points in the final eight minutes.

"By far, this is the worst we have showed," said Williams, who had 12 points and five rebounds. "We didn't even show up tonight. We should have definitely given way more than we did today. We didn't get off to a good start and we were fighting back the whole game. We've been doing that all season. It caught up to us tonight."

Liberty limited Longwood's leading scorer, Maurice Sumter, to seven points on 2 of 13 shooting. Brandon Giles led the Lancers with 13 points.

Six Flames scored in double figures, paced by Larry Blair's 18 points. Anthony Smith scored 15 and B.J. Jenkins and Baker each added 10. With that sort of balance, it's no surprise Liberty has been able to sweep a six-game homestand.

True, three of those wins were against non-NCAA competition, but those games clearly played the role Dunton wanted in his team's development.

"I knew it was possible, but it was going to be a little bit of a stretch," Dunton said of the 6-0 homestand. "These guys have come further quicker than maybe I had anticipated early. But you can't measure the impact of freshmen."

Two in particular - Jenkins and Baker - have made instant impacts, helping Liberty develop depth that didn't exist during last year's 7-23 disaster. Blair doesn't feel like he has to try to take over every game. He has help all around him, a major reason why the Flames are on their longest winning streak since the 2003-04 season, when Liberty won seven straight and later advanced to the NCAA tournament.

"If they have a guy like Rell Porter going 4-for-6 and 2-for-3 on 3s, they're going to be very good," Longwood coach Mike Gillian said. "They're considerably better. McLean makes them better. The other guys are a year older and better. They're significantly better."

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

[Sly Fox]

And from the SIDs:

Blair Passes Aluma On Liberty And Big South Scoring List as Flames Cruise to 89-61 Victory Over Longwood

December 9, 2006
Lynchburg, Va.


Blair passed Aluma on Liberty and Big South scoring lists

Larry Blair moved up two spots to fifth place on the Big South's all-time scoring list and one spot on Liberty’s all-time scoring list as he collected a game-high 18 points in helping Liberty (6-1) defeat Longwood (3-8 ) on Saturday night at the Vines Center, 89-61.

The win is the Flames' six-straight equaling the nation’s 12th-best current winning streak and serves as the best Liberty start since the 1999-2000 season when the Flames started 7-1.

The Flames started quickly jumping out to a 15-5 run capped by an Anthony Smith three-point basket from the corner on Alex McLean assist with 14:58 left in the first half. The Flames followed that run up with a 12-6 run capped by a rim shattering one-handed dunk by Russell Monroe, making it 27-13 on a B.J. Jenkins pass with 8:32 left in the first half. Monroe was fouled on the play but missed the ensuing free throw.

The Lancers held a 13-10 advantage which included an 11-0 run when history was made at the Vines Center. Blair pulled up for a jumper from the left elbow sinking a basket giving him 1,716 career points, helping him pass Peter Aluma for fifth all-time in both the Big South and Liberty all-time scoring lists. Blair becomes Liberty’s all-time Division I scoring leader, finishing the night with 1,726 career points. Blair’s basket gave Liberty a 37-26 lead with 1:26 left in the first half.

Blair then hit two free throws with seven seconds left as Liberty took a 39-26 lead into the half. The story of the first half was 26 personal fouls called between the two teams, leaving both sides in foul trouble at the break.

The second half started out as a defensive juggernaut as neither team could get any shots to fall. The Flames held a 6-5 advantage, giving them the 45-31 lead with 15:13 left in the game after Blair laid it up off a fast break.

Behind Jenkins, the Flames extended the lead to 19, making it 50-31 after the freshman scored back-to-back baskets capped by a three-point shot from the top of the key with 13:50 left in the game.

The Lancers went on a 9-4 run capped an alley oop by Kirk Williams on a Kevin Swecker pass making it 54-40 with 11:40 left in the game. The Flames came roaring back opening up a 10-2 run which gave Liberty their biggest lead of the game at 64-42 when Tyler Baker hit a three-point basket off a Justin Holland pass with 9:20 left in the game.

Both teams traded baskets for the next five minutes with the Flames holding a 9-8 advantage after Rell Porter hit a three-point basket off a Blair pass with 4:20 left in the game making it 73-50.

The Flames put the afterburners on increasing their largest lead of the game at 33 points after a 16-6 run capped by a Smith jumper on a Holland pass making it 89-56 with 1:49 left in the game. The Lancers closed out the game on a 5-0 run but it was too little as the Flames grab the 89-61 win.

The Flames shot a 59.4 percent on 19-of-32 shooting from the field in the second half while hitting 6-of-10 from three point range. The Flames defense held the Lancers to 35.1 percent shooting from the field for the game and out rebounded Longwood 42-32.

Blair led the way with 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds. McLean scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Smith scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Porter, Jenkins and Baker round out the top scorers with 10 points a piece.

Longwood had three players in double figures with Brandon Giles leading the squad with 13 points, followed by Kirk Williams who scored 12 points off the bench on 6-of-10 shooting. Husein Pistoljevic rounds out the Longwood top performers putting 11 points up in the losing cause. Maurice Sumter, the Lancers' leading scorer at 18.1 points per game coming into the contest, finished with seven points on 2-of-13 shooting.

The Flames return to action on December 16 when Liberty travels to St. Francis to conclude the season series. The tip is set for 7 p.m. at DeGol Arena in Loretto, Pa. The game also marks the debut of junior Dwight Brewington who has missed the Flames' first seven games due to the NCAA transfer rule. Brewington transferred a year ago to Liberty from Providence.

http://libertyflames.com/index.cfm?PID= ... 5&TeamID=6

[paradox]

...

[jmdickens]

that is a good five....and BJ should do fine. If he is getting too much pressure at the point, then Brew should be adequate help

[Elicoolbreeze]

That starting five would be awesome but once again I will remind you that Dwight Brewington wants to play point guard and will play probably only limited minutes at some other position. Another thing to keep in mind is that Jenkins though he has shown awesome abilities has not started a game. So with those things in mind here is my starting five:

1) Dwight Brewington - not only does he want this spot I believe Dunton wants him with the ball
2) Larry Blair
3) Anthony Smith
4) Damien Hubbard over Rell Porter
5) Alex McLean

[jmdickens]

I wasn't particularly saying starting, just the best five players

[TIMSCAR20]

Rell is gonna play. Rell is gonna help this team win. Rell will be fine. That said, I think Coach Dunton has a dilemna of sorts because when a team is playing well, you don't want to re-tool anything if you don't have to. However when you have a player of the caliber of Brewington, you welcome the dilemna. It will be interesting to see how this team gels with him in the mix. I think everyone's minutes will decrease slightly but everyone will still play for a while anyway. Also do not count Armon Jones out. He is a big body that can move well and rebound well. There will be times that Ace is in foul trouble and Russell isn't quite ready for prime time and Armon's number will be called. He has great hands too. That pass Smith threw to him last night would have gone through Aluma's and Nwoso's hands and into the cheerleaders. He caught it like it was a roll of paper towels tossed to him and layed it in. The defensive numbers for Liberty have been impressive but the 89 points a game is a welcome change. We haven't seen a Liberty team score like this since Hildo and Chapman and the boys. Actually our White, Boykin, Aluma, Jackson teams scored a lot of points early in the season too. I'm not ready to crown this group big south Champs but they will be in the mix. It is going to be interesting to see how these guys respond on the road, especially young players like BJ and Justin. The road is a whole different animal. Great job in the 6 game homestand. It has been fun to see.

[jmdickens]

thank you for mentioning Armon.....I really like the way he plays...although he has been a bit slower than one would wish, he has some pretty good post moves.

[BJWilliams]

in Orlando there is this guy known as the "fat man" he is the rich lawyer guy that has had season tickets to the Orlando Magic since 1989, the first season....to get the crowed amped up he will run around the entire lower bowl area wearing this glittery shirt...he isn't hired by the magic...just a dedicated fan....people love him in Orlando and always look for the fat man when they go to the games....now this kid may be annoying to some...but i think its great personally and entertaining...and i really think you guys are seriously being way too uptight...if some old guy from Orlando who weighs 300 pounds can do it at an nba game why can't a kid walk back and forth trying to get the crowd into at liberty games??? then again, this is liberty, where i sometimes wonder if any athletic traditions will begin...not because of the administration, but because too many people get annoyed at fans actually caring and getting into the games....this is the main reason why you no longer see me down front at games....so many times me and the rest of the guys i use to go to games with got yelled at by uptight idiots that don't understand what college athletics is about...

there is my rant....i am sure someone will get upset with me, but i really don't care....

I was reading this post and instantly I was reminded of somebody that EVERYBODY around LU should know...Gary Householder (I believe that's how you spell his last name) better known to everyone as LU's #1 Fan. I have been to LU sporting events since I got here in the fall of 2002 and rarely does one go by where Mr. Householder is not in attendance. Whether its football, baseball, basketball, hockey, track (indoor AND outdoor), softball, lacrosse, volleyball...whatever. This guy is as much a part of LU sports as anything. He missed a few games a couple years ago after he had a heart attack, and everybody would wonder, "where is the #1 fan?" Mr. Householder is probably the closest thing we have to a tradition right now in my opinion.

[A.G.]

#1 Fan=#1 Tradition? That speaks volumes about the past state of the athletic program.

[Elicoolbreeze]

I wasn't particularly saying starting, just the best five players

Sorry about taking you out of context jmdickens. We are definitly deep at the guard positions so I as well believe we may well be best when those four guards are on the floor. I probably would still want Dwight at the one position cause I love Jenkins 3pt. shooting ability. Of course this small lineup may not work to well depending upon our opponent. We may have to insert a bigger man down in the post.

[kel varson]

Here's my lineup/depth chart beginning with Brewington's eligibility on the 16th.

1. Brewington/Holland/Hubbard
2. Blair/Jenkins
3. Smith/Baker
4. Porter (He will lose out quickly if he is not consistently good like he was last night)/Hubbard/Baker
5. McClean/Monroe/Baker/Jones

[kel varson]

What would probably help our team with attendance would be to try and schedule a few bigger schools at home. I know in the past we have played VA Tech. Maybe some CAA teams or someone like that in the next few years. I still think the attendance will continue to improve as we continue to play well.

[LU'sbestmanager]

we have to do give aways. we should do like a red shirt give away or something. no one wheres red except for my boys in baker's bunch