Box Score
ROCK HILL, SC--The Liberty women dominated Winthrop from the opening tip in coasting to a 90-57 Big South Conference victory behind a career-high 32 points by Devon Brown on Saturday afternoon at the Winthrop Coliseum.

The loss snapped Winthrop's three-game winning streak as the Eagles fall to 6-5 overall and 1-1 in the Big South.  Liberty (10-4, 2-0 BSC) has now defeated Winthrop in eight of the last nine meetings between the two schools and increases its lead in the all-time series to 43-8.

In a game that was billed as an early showdown for league supremacy, Liberty made an early statement by jumping out to a 18-3 lead in the opening 7:17 of the game as the Flames dominated the Eagles on the inside, scoring seven of its first eight baskets in the paint.  LU scored off the opening tip on a set play when Emily Frazier layed in a shot as just four seconds had ticked off the clock.  Liberty outscored Winthrop 44-12 in the paint and shot 51.5 percent for the game (34-66).  The Flames also had a 51-31 rebounding advantage behind Tolu Omotola's game-high 12 boards.

Winthrop missed its first 10 field goal attempts and did not make its first shot until McClanahan connected on a jumper with 11:34 left in the first half to make the score 18-5.  McClanahan finished the game with a season-high 27.  The only other Eagle in double digits was Diana Choibekova with 17 as she made 5 of 12 shots from behind the 3-point arc.

As a team, the Eagles finished at 30 percent shooting on the day (18-60).  After connecting on just 5 of 29 shots in the first half (17.2 percent), the Eagles warmed up in the final period to make 13 of 31 (41.9 %), but it was not near enough to cut into a 17-point halftime deficit (38-21).  Winthrop was unable to get any closer than that 17-point deficit in the second half.  The last time came midway through the period when McClanahan drilled a 3-pointer to make it a 58-41 game with 10:44 left to play, but the Flames quickly upped the lead to 26 at 72-46 behind six straight points by Brown.

The Eagles had no answer for the 5-10 senior and leading candidate for Big South Player of the Year.  She scored in every conceivable way.  She was 12 of 22 from the floor, including 4 of 9 from the three and converted four free throws.  She also pulled down eight rebounds.  Omotolu got her double-double as she scored 24 points with al of them coming in the paint and at the free throw line.  She was 10 of 12 shooting from the floor.  Also in double digits from the Flames was Brittany Campbell with 11.

"Today they (Liberty) was the better team and today we got dominated overall and on the boards," said Winthrop head coach Kevin Cook.  "Liberty came into the game with a plus-15 rebounding margin.  We knew that coming in and that was our focus, but even though it was our focus they dominated us 51-31 on the boards."

"The bottom line is we are 1-1 in the conference and are one game back.  It's really early and we've got several games coming up and all are important," he said.  "Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, we have seven games over the next 13 days and all are on the road.  We are road warriors and that is going to do nothing but toughen us up."

Winthrop will travel to St. Louis for a 1 p.m. game on New Year's Eve day.  That game will be the first of three games in seven days that will include another non-conference game at William & Mary on Jan. 2 and a Big South contest at first-year member Longwood on Jan. 5.