Coming off winter break, it’s common for teams take a game or two to shake off rust and regain their rhythm. Liberty and Francis Scott Key didn’t have that luxury, meeting in a tough county matchup just as the heart of the season began.
Liberty’s Gavin Speace understood the urgency and it showed from the opening tip.
Speace scored a game-high 25 points as the Lions used a decisive third-quarter run to pull away for a 59-48 win over the Eagles on Tuesday night.
“Once we can get that five-, six-point lead, and guys start to see the ball go through the rim, they play better,” Liberty coach George Sinnott said.
Speace knocked down his first shot, and the junior quickly looked destined for another one of his signature high-scoring performances. He got help from backcourt mate Brady Bergen, with the pair carrying the Liberty offense and playing off each other seamlessly as the Lions (7-2, 3-1 Carroll County) took an early lead.
Francis Scott Key (2-6, 0-3) responded with physical play, asserting itself inside. Coach Brian Chesley was the most animated person in the gym, urging his players to push the ball, make their free throws be smart with their shot selection. The Eagles listened and answered as the talented sophomore duo of Landon Horton (17 points) and Adam Geiman (11) controlled the paint — something Sinnott anticipated, but knew his team still had to counter.
“Coming in with the length they had, we knew we couldn’t turn the ball over and that we had to hit the boards,” he said. “And what did we do? We turned the ball over and we couldn’t get rebounds.”
But each time the Eagles answered a Liberty basket or put together a run, Speace delivered. He buried a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the first half to give the Lions a one-point lead at the break.
“The game comes so much easier to me after I hit those first couple of shots,” Speace said. “I get in a nice rhythm and I have that much more confidence in my next shot.”
At halftime, Sinnott stressed the need for improved rebounding and defense. Liberty switched to a zone in an effort to better handle the Eagles’ physicality. Schemes aside, Bergen knew exactly what the Lions needed to bring in the second half: intensity.
“We needed to pick it up,” he said. “They were getting too many rebounds and looks inside. It was time for us to dig deep.”
Liberty responded to the pleas of their senior, opening the second half on a 12-0 run to seize control. Speace and Bergen knocked down shots, which opened the door for Sean Case.
Case not only hit a pair of outside looks, but also battled inside, grabbing key rebounds that extended possessions or closed out strong defensive stands for the home team.
“When Gavin and I are hitting shots, it really frees it up for the rest of the guys,” Bergen, who finished with 17 points, said. “It gets our defense going and then gives other guys the chance to rise up and when that happens, we play amazing.”
The Lions, who have battled injuries and other setbacks that at times left them dressing just eight players for a game, earned more than a win Tuesday night — they learned something about themselves that they can carry through the rest of the season.
“We already know everyone can put the ball in the basket,” Bergen said. “If we come out from the beginning with intensity and energy, we can be really great.”
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Liberty 59, Francis Scott Key 48
L- Gavin Speace 25, Brady Bergen 17, Sean Case 10, Brody Knight 3, Carter Weddle 3, Ryan Clapper 1
FSK- Landen Horton 17, Adam Geiman 11, Conlan Cousins 6, Elijah Dawson 6, Cooper Little 4, Owen Watkins 4