LYNCHBURG, VA— Kristal Tharp (G, Fr., Chillicothe, Ohio) scored a team-high 17 points as Liberty defeated Coastal Carolina 74-45 in Big South women's basketball action at the Vines Center Monday evening.

The win is the 15th straight for the Lady Flames over Coastal Carolina and improves their record to 16-7 overall and 10-1 in league action. The Lady Chanticleers fall to 7-16 and 3-8 respectively.

Liberty took control of the game with 11:42 remaining until halftime. After a Whitney Shearer (G, So., Monticello, Ky.) three-pointer brought Coastal Carolina within one at 12-11, the Lady Flames finished the opening frame on 18-7 run in taking a 30-18 halftime advantage. The Lady Chanticleers got as close as 12 points in the second period at 32-20 but Liberty went on a 19-2 scoring spree to end any hopes of a Coastal
Carolina comeback.

Liberty outscored the Lady Chanticleers 32-8 in the paint. In addition the Lady Flames bench outscored the Coastal Carolina reserves 39-2.

Tharp nailed five of her seven field goal attempts, including a 3-for-4 effort from behind the arc in pacing the Liberty attack. Rachel Young (G, Sr., Hastings, Mich.) rounded out the double-figure scorers for the first place Lady Flames with an 11-point performances.

Courtney Brown (F, r-Fr., Chesapeake, Va.) scored a game-best 20 points to lead the Coastal Carolina charge. Shearer tallied 13 points on the strength of a 3-for-9 effort from behind the arc rounding out the double-figures scorers for the Lady Chanticleers.

The victory for the Lady Flames sets up a first-place showdown in the Big South with Elon, the league's second-place team, on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. in the Vines Center.