Recap: Liberty Red Devils vs. Blacksburg Wildcats
The Liberty Red Devils suffered their biggest loss since December 20, 2023 on Friday. They were the victim of a rough 70-49 defeat at the hands of Blacksburg. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat Liberty has suffered against Blacksburg since January 9, 2015.
Liberty's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Logan Smith, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 15 rebounds. Kendrick Jackson was another key contributor, scoring 15 points along with seven rebounds and three steals.
Even though they lost, Liberty smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 23 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Blacksburg's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Ziyon Harris, who scored 14 points along with six assists and three steals. Another player making a difference was Christian Federico, who scored 11 points along with eight rebounds and four steals.
Liberty has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost six of their last seven matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-13 record this season. As for Blacksburg, their win ended a ten-game drought on the road and puts them at 2-12.
Liberty will look to defend their home court on Tuesday against Landrum at 8:00 p.m. Landrum knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past 12 matchups -- so hopefully Liberty likes a good challenge. As for Blacksburg, they will head out on the road to challenge Chesnee at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Chesnee has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 819 points over their last 11 games.
