[Guest]

When Dunton is at full srength a LU/Winthrop game is tremendous hoops! And I put money on
their ability to beat many mids at home in the coming years. Ernie Nestor was the coach at GMU and got fired the year that LU won two.

[PastorZack]

I can still remember if Marcus wouldn't have been hurt, we would have been in the Dance again. LU was 23-9 and not even a NIT berth, that was sad. Like someone said, that was LU's best team by far.

[TIMSCAR20]

Paul Westhead took over right after Nestor and even though he was a big name they never were able to put it together. I remember beating GMU for the first time being significant and I happened to be in the locker room and Coach Meyer asked me to talk to the guys a little after the game to share how proud I was of them to play so well on the road after struggling so mightily the year before. But I wouldn't put that game on any list as a top 5. It was a turning point for a group of players that had the biggest turnaround or one of the biggest in the country that year.

[Stevev]

I remember that game being the turning point in the program at that time since we beat a recognizable program. We went on to have a great year.

[Thelaxman]

I can't remember if it was 85 or 86 but the win over former NCAA Division 2 National Champion MT. Saint Marys from Maryland. The win helped the Basketball team win the Mason Dixion Conference and was a huge upset. You could not hear yourself think with all the noise in the old Gym. I believe it was 85.

I also cought a game at Towson State in 86 that Liberty lost by one and it could have been a great win. But the win over the Mount was the best in my time at LU. Because the the Mount was ranked so high in NCAA D2 ball at the time.

Thelaxman

[TIMSCAR20]

Laxman, that game vs Mt. was the shot the Freddie Morgan hit. We talk about the big shot in another thread that Sly dedicated to that shot. It was unbelievable...That Towson game you speak of was a heart breaker. They were a decent division 1 team that we played very tough the whole game. We trailed by as much as 15 but came back with help from guys off the bench named Scarborough, Richardson and Perry. We were down to our last 5 guys as everyone else had either fouled out, gotten injured or were ejected (Eduardo Soldesi) Ed was the nicest guy off the court but he was a 6-11 Brazilian with a mean streak on the court with not much basketball skill. He was a good guy though. He broke a Towson player's nose with a cast he had on his left hand. The guy gave Ed a cheap shot and then said something not so nice. I didn't see the hit till video but I can still hear the crack of the bones! Anyway, we took the lead with 4 seconds on the clock. Can't remember who hit the shot but I know we had 5 guards on the floor! Alston, Richardson, me Stephon Leary and 1 other guard who I can't remember. So Towson inbounds length of the court and Steph gambled and missed a steal taking himself out of the play completely. Marty Johnson for Townson came straight up the court and stopped and popped at the free throw line at the buzzer. None of us could leave our man to help because he would have dumped the ball for a layup. I remember catching the ball as it went through the net and then feeling like dirt. It would have been a huge win on the road for our team that just started competing in division 1. No one would talk to Steph for a while but I did because he was a Frosh and he was my roommate on the road and at school but most of all because we were good friends. If he would have come up with that steal we would have won but it didn't work out that way. We would not have been in that game without his plays though along with Bailey, Brad Hammersley and Charles Richardson. I wish I had film of that one because it was a wild one!

[Thelaxman]

Scar:

Yes, I remember that shot by Freddie Morgan. I have been to a lot of college basketball games since then either at Winthrop, Liberty or at the University of New Mexico. I have never seen a game as intense as that game against MT. Saint Marys. Yes, the Towson game was a heartbreaker. As I recall that may have been the first weekend of Christmas break in Dec of 86.

Also I remember Ed. He was a really great Guy and had a heart for the Lord. But on the Basketball Court he was all business. Thanks for filling in the gaps Scar. Those were some great moments in Flames Basketball History and I was glad that I was there to see that.

All the best,

Thelaxman

[Formerplayer]

ATrain, that was a great game (Senior Night against Radford). At UVA was a big win for the program. The first Big South Championship, and the second. I would have to say beating Virginia Tech at there place two years in a row under the great guidance of Mel Hankinson lol.

Top 5 wins:

5. First Big South Championship
4. Sr. Night v. Radford at Vines, 2004
3. At UVA
2. High Point at home 04-05 season
1. 89-44 win over High Point for Big South Championship

[bigsmooth]

1. 1st win at UVA
2. first big south championship
3. 2nd big south championship
4. NCCAA national championship
5. 1st win at va. tech

[Guest]

Freddie's shot was easily my favorite moment and was the arguably the biggest victory in our program's history to that point (1980 included). But it was DII game. I'm going to do a thread on Freddie's shot very soon with pics. I still get chills thinking about it.

I've witnessed alot of Liberty basketball myself, and I have to agree with Sly. If you were in the house that night, as I was, you would understand why I think it is LU's single greatest sports moment.

A highly ranked opponenet (#2 or #3, which would be like LU playing Duke in the Vines this year) and we are down by something like 20 points with less then 10 minutes to play. That atmosphere in the old gym had to be experienced to be understood. It was so loud and the fans just wouldn't give up. Charles Richardson, Scar & co. start hitting some unbelievable shots. Next thing you know we're down by 1 or 2 points with maybe 10 seconds left and little Freddy Morgan has the rock in his hands at the top of the key with a defender all over him. With time winding down he fades away and launches a high-arching shot over the defenders out-stretched hand...nothing but net. The crowd storms the floor and the "Miracle on the Mountain" born. It was the headline and lead story in the paper the next day. It trully was a miracle moment.

[BJWilliams]

Kinda like the basketball version of LU-VMI 3 years ago (although I do realize VMI sn't that good but its the only game I could think of to offer in context with that game)

[GOAT]

All I know is that I was apart of some of the biggest games in LU history: LU vs UVA was an unbelievable game because UVA had just upset Wake Forest and lost to UNC by less than 5 points with Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison. Another great game that we should have one was LU vs VT at VT when they were top 10 in the country. Unbelievable atmosphere. Games against JMU, VCU and beating Radford at Radford in 1995 was awesome. That is the only win in LU history at Radford. Scar was there when we beat Eastern Michigan at the buzzer in Hawaii but they waived it off. Marcus White dominted Earl Boykins so bad it wasn't even funny. In my career LU had more mid major and major wins then any other era.

[Sly Fox]

GOAT - You need to get logged in as a registered user. If Chris can pull it off, surely you can too.

That said, I agree completely with you.

[D Edcil]

I don't know if you can limit it to five games so here are the ones that I believe are among the biggest ones in the school's history (in no particular order)

1. 1994 Big South Championship - Gave us ticket to first Dance

2. 2004 Big South Championship - Second Ticket To Dance

3. 1980 NCCAA National Championship - I don't care when a national championship is outstanding

4. 1983 NAIA National Tournament - Wisconsin-Stevens Point - Gave us no less than No. 5 finish nationally

5. 1998 - Virginia - First ACC Win

6. 1995 - VCU - they finsihed 26-4 heading into Big Dance that year - they were very good

7. 1992 - Beat Virginai Tech at Virginia Tech - First win against Hokies (They had Bimbo Coles)

8. 1994 - James Madison - Big Win over good Lefty Drisell coached James Madison Team

9. 1996 - UNC G - When we spanked them by 20 points - Very Good UNC G Team that we beat the crap out of

10. 1999 - Richmond at Richmond (The Spiders were good (18-12) and John Beilein Coach that team)

11. 1999 - Beat Virginia Tech at Virginia Tech (Second win against Hokies) - Hard to win at Castle

12. Any win against Mt. St. Mary's (They were always top 10 when we played them)
but especially 1987 - Beat highly-ranked Mt. St. Mary's on the fall away shot with no time left in the old Liberty Gym (Fred Morgan)

13. 1998 - When Mike Minett hit a bunch of threes and led us back from a big deficit and we beat the Mount at home in overtime

14. 1995 - First-ever win at Radford

15. 1997 - Win at Radford - Erik Sorensen missed game with bad ankle and we still kicked their butt

16. 1997 - Semifinals of Conference Tournament - Loudest Vines has ever been - Best Game Alumna had in Career

17. 1974 - First Win at Nationally-Ranked Tennessee Temple (they were the power of the NCCAA)

Thanks for saving me the posts. I am gald SOMEONE remebers when we had packed houses and played good competition and won on a consistent basis!! There was basketball before we went to the NCAA Tournament.
I would put our National Championship #1, simply b/c IT IS A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. For those of us old enough to remember, the competition in that league was WAY better then now. Then you would have to put the BS Tournament wins next, b/c WE WENT TO THE Dance, then you have the UVA game.
I do not think this win over Radford ranks up in the Top 5 or even Top 10 for that matter for two reasons.
1. In 10 years, no one is going to say, "Man do you remember when we beat Winthrop?" But you still know that we beat UVA!
2. I am not sure we have had enough big wins as a program to justify a longer list then 5 or possibly 10. (That is sure to stir the puddin!)

[Sly Fox]

D Edcil - All things considered, I do remember the calibre of ball in our NCCAA days. And while I hold that title great esteem I have a tough time comparing it to DI ball in any fashion. My guess is that Hess probably would've put up great number no matter the competition. But its really hard to be objective.

[Hold My Own]

talking about Hess, I bet he would agree with you that you couldnt compare the two, he would have the best idea being involved like he is first hand with big D1 games

[Guest]

D Edcil is living in the world of over-exaggerated past or the older I get the better I was.
You can not do justice to the quality of athlete physically in those eras versus say Larry
Blair. Did you see what he has done against Kentucky, Maryland, NC State, ODU and
The Big South? I believe he is the best ever at Liberty in the scoring capacity. Accomplishments and wins can be separated. It is great to win a NCCAA championship.
But Tenn Temple has 10 of them. Does that compare to a #1 seed in a D1 league or a tournament championship? Top wins are Big South tournament Championships, UVA,
Va Tech, VCU and beating the highest rated Big South team ever in Winthrop. Would Mt St Mary's have been any of those teams?

[Hold My Own]

...Va Tech, VCU and beating the highest rated Big South team ever in Winthrop.

and that wasnt even me posting that as a guest! LoL

[Sly Fox]

It was through Tennessee Temple that I had my exposure to the NCCAA back in the day. There were some really strong players. But overall, it was a big step down from Division II basketball. Al that said, it was a major milestone in our program and something we need to remember.

[Hold My Own]

remember of course! but remembering and putting at the top of history are different...Sly do you feel like any of those wins belong at the top 5?

I guess to be politically correct we'd have to make sub lists of "Top 5 quality wins" "Top 5 historic wins" etc. b/c while being an important win in LU's history a lot of those wins wouldn't be the top of the quality/talent list

[TIMSCAR20]

You have to draw the distinction between division 1, NAIA, division II and NCCAA. They are different levels of play. Plus add to the fact that Athletes in 2006 for the most part might be a little stronger and jump a little higher and run a little faster. Having played division II and division I ball I know there was a difference. However there were plenty and still are plenty of division II teams that can beat division I's simply because they have better players. Virginia Union would not only beat but destroy a great deal of division I teams back then and today. Mt. St. Mary's has size, speed and talent to compete at the division I level back then not to mention legendy coach Jim Phelan with his bow ties. I know RedDog remembers that.

[D Edcil]

Just so everyone does not think I am on crack. I was refering to the NCCAA being better back then than it is now. While I would say that some of those teams could (and did) beat DI teams, I was compariing the NCCAA then to the NCCAA now. Thank you for your attention

[Sly Fox]

Point well taken, D. It was indeed better back in the day.

[Big -e-]

Now you guys are talking my language here, Old stuff. I have to say BY FAR the best win in LU history in my mind, in any sport, was the 94 BS championship game, you had to be there though. floor in shock because they thought they had the game in the bag. Hope you guys have a good weekend and Go LU.

My most vivid memory of the '94 Championship was after the game; when Dr. Falwell cut the net down.....AND THREW IT INTO A CAST OF THOUSANDS!!!!! that stormed the court. It was one of those moments when time slows down and I was screaming "NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

I hope someone retrieved it.....

I actually got to drive up to Kalamazoo to watch Hilde and team play Western Michigan that season. Brought my camera along, so I was able to sit underneath the basket for the whole game.... Three months later, a BS Crown.....

[Big -e-]

Can't remember who hit the shot but I know we had 5 guards on the floor! Alston, Richardson, me Stephon Leary and 1 other guard who I can't remember. So Towson inbounds length of the court and Steph gambled and missed a steal taking himself out of the play completely. Marty Johnson for Townson came straight up the court and stopped and popped at the free throw line at the buzzer.

January 10, 1988.

I remember that night. Steph went to get some popcorn and some sodas for the bench, cuz' he ended up in the stands on that play. I thought it was Kirk Lee who hit the shot.

I remember us being in the locker room, and Coach Meyer paced the locker room for at least 20 minutes before he even said a word. No one moved. No one spoke. IMO that was the toughest lost ever 'cuz we fought so hard, and came up short. It would have been our first D-1 one win ever. That didn't come until we went to NYC and beat Brooklyn College.
Their gym was straight outta Hickory High. The fun part was that we played on old Nassau Coliseum floor, the same floor that Julius "The Doctor" EEERRRRVVVVINNNNG(that was for Scar) played on while with the NY Nets of the ABA. Had the Nassau logos and all. Pretty cool....