Bearkats fall 89-57 as Flames advance to semifinals behind hot shooting and rebounding edge
Liberty surges past Sam Houston in conference tournament
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Liberty used strong shooting and rebounding to defeat Sam Houston 89-57 Thursday in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 Air National Guard Conference USA Championship at Propst Arena inside the Von Braun Center.
The fifth-seeded Flames improved to 18-12 overall and advanced to the semifinal round, while the fourth-seeded Bearkats finished their season at 18-12.
Liberty built control early and stretched its lead to as many as 32 points midway through the third quarter. Sam Houston responded with a brief rally late in the third period that cut the deficit to 20, but the Bearkats were unable to close the gap further in the final quarter.
Sam Houston head coach Ravon Justice said she remained proud of her team despite the loss.
“First off, thank everybody for being here,” Justice said. “You know, the game definitely, we didn't get the outcome that we expected today. I'm extremely still proud of my team. They've overcome a lot this year. You never want to end. But unfortunately, we are here today, in that situation. These kids have played hard all year. They've battled. They've overcome a lot, so extremely proud of them.”
Dunn leads Bearkats in scoring
Whitney Dunn paced the Bearkats with 20 points and six rebounds, marking her third 20-point performance of the season. Nyla Inmon added 11 points and four defensive rebounds for her 18th double-figure scoring effort of the year.
Aysia Ward-Strong finished with nine points and two rebounds, including a three-pointer, while Deborah Ogayemi contributed eight points and five rebounds. Fanta Kone recorded eight assists and three points.
Justice said Sam Houston showed its identity during a brief third-quarter surge.
“I just thought that, you know, we dug a hole early,” Justice said. “We didn't defend how we usually defend. We dropped some defensive assignments early in the first and the second, and so the third quarter was just us being who we really are, our true identity of defending and scoring the basketball. Unfortunately, we weren't able to display that for four quarters, but that's something these young ladies have been able to do all year.”
Sam Houston finished the game shooting 38 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from three-point range. The Bearkats were outrebounded 40-30 and committed 16 turnovers while forcing eight from Liberty. LIB_SHSU_Quarterfinal_Box_Score
Liberty’s shooting performance fuels victory
Liberty’s offense was powered by Ify Nwaobi, who scored a career-high 22 points while shooting 8-for-9 from the field and 5-for-5 from three-point range. Her 88.9 percent shooting tied for the second-best field-goal percentage in a Conference USA tournament game.
Avery Mills added 20 points, including 15 in the second half. Liberty knocked down 12 three-pointers in the contest, tying for the third-most made in a conference tournament game.
Flames head coach Alexis Sherard praised her team’s execution against a Bearkat defense known for forcing turnovers.
“First of all, just want to tip my hat to Ravon and her Sam Houston basketball team,” Sherard said. “We beat a very good Sam Houston team. Ravon does a great job with her team. Overall, I’m very pleased with our team and how we handled the basketball and handled the pressure. We just came into this game really focused on taking care of the basketball and winning the rebounding war. It’s a very good win for our program and I’m very proud of our team.”
Liberty shot 48.4 percent from the floor and 41.4 percent from three-point range in the game. LIB_SHSU_Quarterfinal_Box_Score
Teammates show confidence despite adversity
Mills said the team remained confident even when players had to spend time on the bench due to foul trouble.
“I have so much faith in them. I love this team. I love these girls,” Mills said. “Obviously, I love being in with them and playing with my girls, but I also love cheering for them on the bench. Seeing things that maybe they can work on and helping them with that. I love going crazy for Ify hitting five threes in the first half. We’re a championship team, not just one or two or three players. It’s all of us.”
Liberty will now face the No. 1 seed Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters in the semifinal round at 5:30 p.m. CT Friday on ESPN+.
Season ends with progress for Sam Houston
Despite the quarterfinal loss, Sam Houston completed one of its strongest seasons in recent years.
The Bearkats finished with their most wins since the 2019-20 campaign and achieved their best finish since joining Conference USA.
Game summary
Liberty outscored Sam Houston 22-17 in the first quarter and extended the margin with a 25-12 second quarter to take a 47-29 halftime lead.
The Flames maintained momentum in the third period and closed the game with a 20-8 advantage in the fourth quarter.
Attendance at Propst Arena was 2,346, with officials Ifeyinwa Seales, Bill Larance and Roy Gulbeyan working the game. LIB_SHSU_Quarterfinal_Box_Score
Box score highlights
Sam Houston leaders
- Whitney Dunn — 20 points, 6 rebounds
- Nyla Inmon — 11 points
- Aysia Ward-Strong — 9 points
- Deborah Ogayemi — 8 points, 5 rebounds
- Fanta Kone — 8 assists
Liberty leaders
- Ify Nwaobi — 22 points
- Avery Mills — 20 points
- Emmy Stout — 11 points
Team stats
- Rebounds: Liberty 40, Sam Houston 30
- Turnovers forced by Liberty: 16
- Three-pointers made by Liberty: 12