BOX SCORE LYNCHBURG, Va. –  Da'Naria Erwin Spencer matched her season-high with 27 points, but Liberty escaped a late Radford rally to hold on for a 72-66 victory Friday evening in women's basketball action.
 
21 of Erwin Spencer's 27 points came in the second half.  She knocked down a career-high five 3-pointers en route to her season-high total.  Ashley Buckhannon also hit the 20-point plateau with 21 points and matched her career-high in assists with 8.  It was the third straight game the duo each hit the 20 or more points. 
 
Liberty (21-8, 16-2 Big South) was led by Tolu Omotola and Devon Brown, who recorded 22 points and collected 9 rebounds, respectively.  The duo combined to knock down 21-of-27 from the stripe. 
 
Radford (15-14, 9-9 Big South) hit four treys in the final 2:36 to chip away at the lead but Liberty's last 9 points came at the free throw stripe to ice the game.  After grabbing the early advantage, 5-4, with 17:05 remaining in the first half, Liberty never again surrendered the lead. 
 
The Highlanders hit 10 shot from behind the arc, tying a season-high set earlier this year at Campbell.
 
Erwin Spencer scored Radford's first eight points in the second half, including two trifectas and a pair of free throws.  After Liberty stretched its lead out, 38-23, Radford used a 9-0 run, capped by a steal and coast-to-coast layup by Buckhannon to pull within six, 38-32.   
 
Liberty's Danika Dale weaved her way in the paint and sank a jumper to go back up eight.  Another Buckhannon score and La-She' Walker bank from the left block reduced the deficit to just four, 44-40.
 
Buckhannon then hit a 3-pointer from the corner to pull Radford within one, 44-43.  Following the short spurt, Liberty would score nine unanswered points, six coming from Omotola to pull ahead for good.
 
The Highlanders ended the first half on a 6-2 run to pull within 10, 30-20. The difference in the opening stanza came at the free throw stripe, as Liberty connected of 13-of-18 attempts while Radford knocked down 4-of-7.
 
Following a 21-12 Liberty lead at 6:52, Erwin Spencer pulled up and drained a 16-foot jumper to end a 9-minute Radford field-goal drought.
 
The Highlanders' backcourt accounted for 17 of 20 first-half points.
 
Each defense was aggressive in the first half as Radford limited Liberty to just 24 percent (7-of-29) and the Lady Flames held Radford at a 23 percent (7-of-31) clip.   For the game, Radford shot 37 percent while Liberty turned in at 38 percent.
 
Radford returns to action in the quarterfinals of the Big South Tournament on Friday, March 9.  The tournament will again be held in High Point, N.C.  The Highlanders' opponent is yet to be determined.