LYNCHBURG, Va. (Interstat) — Sam Houston overcame a slow start to defeat Liberty 59-53 in a Conference USA women’s basketball game Thursday at Vines Center. The Bearkats trailed by two entering the fourth quarter but erupted for 23 points in the final period to secure the road victory. Deborah Ogayemi led Sam Houston with 17 points, while Nyla Inmon added 15. Liberty was led by Emmy Stout’s 11 points. Sam Houston improved to 9-4 overall. Liberty fell to 8-6.

LYNCHBURG, Va. (Interstat) — In a game defined by grinding defense and critical plays in the final minute, the Sam Houston Bearkats staged a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback to stun the Liberty Lady Flames 59-53 in a Conference USA women’s basketball clash Thursday night at Vines Center. Entering the final period trailing 34-28, Sam Houston unleashed a 23-point quarter, its highest of the game, while holding Liberty to just 19 points to snatch a victory that defied pregame projections. National Statistical’s ELO system had given Liberty a 95.6% probability to win. The contest was a defensive struggle from the outset. Both teams shot under 35% from the floor, with Sam Houston converting 21 of 56 attempts and Liberty making 19 of 57. The three-point line offered little relief, as the Bearkats hit just 2 of 13 and the Lady Flames 5 of 16. The difference manifested in ball security and free throw execution. Sam Houston forced 19 Liberty turnovers, converting them into 16 points, while committing 16 turnovers of their own. At the foul line, the Bearkats sealed the game by making 15 of 21 attempts, including several clutch shots late, compared to Liberty’s 10 of 17. Deborah Ogayemi, a 6-foot guard from Waterford, Ireland, led all scorers with 17 points for Sam Houston, playing a game-high 40 minutes. She was instrumental in the final push, scoring 7 points in the fourth quarter. Nyla Inmon of Tyler, Texas, added 15 points and was a force defensively with multiple steals and rebounds. Fanta Kone from Bamako, Mali, contributed 12 points and 4 assists, also playing the full 40 minutes. Liberty was led by Elisabeth Aegisdottir of Grindavik, Iceland, and Emmy Stout of San Diego, California, who each scored 11 points. Ify Nwaobi of Calgary, Canada, added 8 points, 3 assists, and a block. The first half set the tone for a low-scoring affair. Sam Houston established an early lead, ending the first quarter up 13-8 behind 8 points from Inmon. Liberty responded in the second quarter, outscoring the Bearkats 15-15 to go into halftime trailing by just five, 28-23. The third quarter saw Liberty’s defense clamp down further, holding Sam Houston to a mere 8 points while adding 11 of their own to take a 34-31 lead into the final frame. The most important part of the game unfolded in the tense closing minutes of the fourth quarter. With Sam Houston having clawed back to take a narrow lead, the outcome hung on a series of pressure-filled possessions. After Liberty’s Avery Mills of Lynchburg, Virginia, hit three free throws to cut the Bearkat lead to 40-37 with 6:41 remaining, Sam Houston’s defense stiffened. Key steals by Aysia Ward-Strong and offensive rebounds by Ogayemi extended possessions and drained the clock. With under a minute to play and Sam Houston leading 51-48, Liberty was forced to foul. Whitney Dunn of Chicago, Illinois, who finished with 10 points, calmly sank two free throws with 30 seconds left to push the lead to five. After a quick Liberty layup by Aegisdottir made it 53-50, Sam Houston again faced the foul line. Dunn was fouled again and made both shots with 14 seconds remaining, effectively sealing the game at 55-50. Liberty’s final points came from the line in the waning seconds, but Sam Houston’s composure from the stripe, including two more from Kone with 7 seconds left, closed out the six-point victory. The win improved Sam Houston’s overall record to 9-4 and marked a significant conference road victory. Liberty fell to 8-6. The Bearkats’ ability to dominate the fourth quarter, 23-19, after being held to their lowest output in the third, proved decisive. Sam Houston next plays at Delaware on Saturday. Liberty will host Louisiana Tech on Sunday.

LYNCHBURG, Va. (Interstat) — A key early Conference USA women’s basketball matchup awaits Thursday when the Liberty Lady Flames host the Sam Houston Bearkats at the Vines Center. Both teams enter with identical 8-5 overall records, though Sam Houston holds a slight edge in conference play at 1-0 after a narrow road victory last week. Liberty stands at 2-1 in CUSA. The Bearkats are riding a three-game winning streak, most recently edging Louisiana Tech 67-64 on Jan. 2. In that game, Aysia Ward-Strong scored 15 points, while Fanta Kone led all scorers with 19 points and five assists. Ward-Strong has been a consistent contributor, averaging 9.2 points over her last five contests, including a 13-point performance in a close loss to SMU. Liberty arrives with momentum from a dominant 86-66 road win at UTEP on Sunday. Guard Claudia Acin powered the victory with a season-high 20 points and seven assists. Her backcourt mate, Avery Mills, added 22 points and five rebounds. Acin’s playmaking will be central against Sam Houston’s defense. The matchup features contrasting recent trajectories. Sam Houston’s streak includes high-scoring outbursts, like a 110-point game against Dallas, but also concerning offensive struggles in losses to Alabama and TCU. Liberty has shown resilience on the road in conference play but will look to defend its home court after a mixed non-conference slate that included losses to Oregon State and Duke. Thursday’s contest opens a pivotal January stretch for both squads. Sam Houston faces a quick turnaround, visiting Delaware on Saturday. Liberty remains home to host Louisiana Tech on Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST at the Vines Center.