RADFORD OPENS BIG SOUTH ACTION AGAINST PRESEASON FAVORITE LIBERTY

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RADFORD, Va. – For the fifth time in program history, the Radford women's basketball team opens Big South competition against in-state rival Liberty. Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. inside the Dedmon Center.

SCOUTING LIBERTY
The Flames (4-2) are coming off a successful trip to Atlanta where they defeated Penn State and host Georgia State to capture the GSU Thanksgiving Tournament. Riding the stellar play of tournament MVP Karly Buer, Liberty claimed its first regular-season tournament championship since the 2009 Navy Classic.

Buer, who is the reigning Big South Co-Player of the Week, averages a team-best 13 points per game in her first year at LU. The redshirt senior guard transferred from Missouri State after suffering a season-ending knee injury four games into her senior season (2013-14). The Concordia, Kan., native was granted a medical redshirt from the NCAA. Buer has reached double figures, offensively, in all six of her games.

Three other Flames average double-figure scoring: Sadalia Ellis (11.8), Ashley Rininger (11.7) and Simone Brown (10.0). Rininger, who was a preseason All-Big South honoree, pulls down a team-best 10.7 rebounds per game. As a team, Liberty averages 47 boards per contest, which rank second in the Big South.

In addition to the 6-foot-4 Rininger, the Flames also boast 6-foot-5 Katelyn Adams and 6-foot-6 Catherine Kearney on the interior. Liberty is one of just 11 NCAA Division I women's basketball programs featuring three players who stand 6-foot-4 or taller. The Flames' "Big 3" make up 40.8 percent of the team's rebounding total.

Radford (2-4) will have to be careful sending Liberty to the charity stripe. The Flames lead the Big South in free throw accuracy at 73.8 percent.

These two in-state rivals will meet for the 62^nd time in series history, Saturday. Liberty leads the head-to-head series, 37-24, and has not lost to RU since Jan. 17, 2011 in Lynchburg.

RADFORD ROUNDUP
RU, which is set to open its 29^th women's basketball season in the Big South, is 19-9 all-time in conference openers. Four of those meetings have come against the Flames. Radford is 0-4 in those games and will be looking to end a seven-game skid in the all-time series with Liberty.

Senior Ayana Avery paces the offense with her 8.3 points per game. She is the Highlanders' top threat from beyond the arc. The 5-foot-5 guard has a team-high 12 3-pointers through six contests.

With five more treys, Avery will break the Radford record for 3-pointers made in a career. She currently has 199 in her time as a Highlander. Kylie Williamson (1999-04) holds the top spot with 203. Avery already set the single-season mark with 95 made 3-pointers in 2013-14.

The Cleveland, N.C., sharpshooter is also inching closer to the 1,000-point club. Avery has 920 career points through 94 career games played. She would become the 21st member of the group.

Over in the rebounding department, freshman Janayla White pulls down 8.8 caroms per contest. She ranks fifth in the conference with her average. Following her season-high three blocks against William & Mary, White also ranks fifth in blocks per game (1.67), sharing the spot with Liberty's Rininger.

UP NEXT
Radford remains in Big South play next Saturday, Dec. 13, when Coastal Carolina makes the trek to the New River Valley. Action gets underway at 4 p.m. inside the Dedmon Center.

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