LYNCHBURG, VA. – Jacksonville State women's basketball continues their four-game road stretch at Liberty on Saturday at 1 p.m. eastern, 12 p.m. central. The Gamecocks are coming off a 62-52 loss at Florida International on Thursday, while Liberty is coming off a dominating 74-39 home win over Kennesaw State Thursday.
Jax State (9-10, 3-5 CUSA) vs Liberty (14-5, 7-1 CUSA)
When: Saturday, Feb. 1 | 1 P.M. ET (12 P.M. CT)
Where: Liberty Arena | Lynchburg, Va.
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
Watch: ESPN+
Jax State Notes |
Liberty Notes
Last Time Out
Jax State's loss at FIU Thursday evening ended a two-game winning streak for the Gamecocks. In the 10-point setback to the Panthers,
Maria Sanchez Ponce led the way with 14 points on 50% shooting. Ponce was joined in double-figures by
Bre'Anna Rhodes who added 13 points on 50% shooting as well. The Gamecocks committed a season-high 24 turnovers against the Panthers.
Series History
The Gamecocks and the Flames have played five times ahead of Saturday's matchup. Jax State is 2-0 at home, while Liberty is 3-0 at their place. The first showdown between the squads came on Jan. 29, 2022, in a 62-57 Liberty win inside Liberty Arena. The most recent matchup resulted in a 63-32 Liberty win in Virginia on Jan. 27, 2024.
Ponce's Surge
The game against Florida International was Ponce's second straight double-digit scoring performance. The Spain native is averaging 15 points over the last four games. In league play, Ponce is averaging 9.1 points per game, and she is averaging 6.9 points per game overall. Ponce was inserted into the starting lineup in Jax State's CUSA opener against Kennesaw State and has maintained that position thanks to her production.
Nothing Easy
As is the norm with a
Rick Pietri coached squad, the 2024-25 Gamecocks have established themselves as one of the toughest teams in the conference to score on. The Gamecocks rank third in the league in opponent field goal percentage at 38.8% per contest. The only two teams ahead of them are Middle Tennessee and Liberty, both of which who are in a tie for first place in the league standings. On top of that, the Gamecocks rank first in the league in opponent three-point percentage allowing their foes to make only 24.6% of their attempts from range. The Gamecocks are holding opponents to only 59.1 points per game. Middle Tennessee is the only team above them in the CUSA as they allow 53.5 points per game.
Coach's Milestone
With the win over New Mexico State on Jan. 25, Pietri reached the 400-win milestone over his 25-year career as an NCAA Division I head women's basketball coach. Pietri is one of only 109 women's coaches to have reached 400 wins since 1981. The win also marked Pietri's 180
th win at the helm of the Jax State program. Pietri is the winningest coach in Jax State women's basketball history.
Looking at the Leaderboards
Mya Barnes currently ranks fourth in the conference in total blocks and blocks per game. Barnes has 29 blocks for an average of 1.5 rejections per contest.
Samiya Steele ranks number six in the league in total assists and assists per game. Steele has 55 assists this season for an average of 2.9 per game. Steele had six dimes against FIU Thursday.
Scouting the Flames
Liberty currently sits in a tie for first place in the CUSA with Middle Tennessee. MTSU has the tiebreaker over the Flames as of now after the Blue Raiders defeated Liberty 69-41 on Jan. 4. Liberty's 6'6" senior center Bella Smuda averages 11.6 points per game on 54.5% shooting, 6.5 rebounds, and has 39 blocks. Her field goal percentage and blocked shot numbers are second in the CUSA. Senior Emma Hess is also a key factor as she averages 10.9 points per game and was a first-team all-conference player in 2023-24.
The Flames also return the 2023-24 freshman of the year, Asia Boone. As a sophomore, Boone is averaging 9.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
Up Next
After the game against Liberty, the Gamecocks will continue their four-game road swing as they head to Middle Tennessee on Thursday, Feb. 6 before heading to Western Kentucky on Saturday, Feb. 8.
Stay in the Know
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Facebook (Jacksonville State Women's Basketball), Instagram (@JaxStateWBB), and X (@JaxStateWBB) accounts.
