Game Summaries

Lady Flames Finish Regular Season

Oakwood University 59; Free Will Baptist Bible College 42

February 21, 2012.   The Lady Flames dropped their regular-season finale to Oakwood University 59-42.

The game started out close with both teams exchanging baskets until the 10-minute mark when the Ambassadors went on their first run to take an 11-point lead.  But FWBBC went on a run of its own closed to within four at the half.

Oakwood displayed its considerable depth in the second half as it pressured the Lady Flames into numerous turnovers which resulted in easy buckets.  FWBBC hung in for the first few minutes of the second half, but the Ambassadors pulled away for the comfortable victory.

“We played hard and executed pretty well in the half-court,” said Coach Larry Bryan.  “Their pressure just wore us down to the point where we weren’t very effective, especially in the second half.”

Senior Jaclyn Martin made her final home appearance a great one as she had a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds.  Rachel Burns also had a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.  Loni Walser added 12 points and seven assists.

Lady Flames Struggle at Georgia Northwestern

Georgia Northwestern Tech  75; Free Will Baptist Bible College 27

February 9, 2012.  The Lady Flames scored the first three points of the game, but there was not much offense after that as they fell to Georgia Northwestern Tech 75-27.

“We are having trouble sustaining good play for any length of time,” said Coach Larry Bryan.  “We gave up too many offensive rebounds and turned the ball over too often.”

Loni Walser and Jaclyn Martin led FWBBC in scoring with 14 and 11 points, respectively.  Bryan lauded the defensive efforts and hustle of Laura Riggs in the second half.

Lady Flames Fall Short

Hiwassee College  66; Free Will Baptist Bible College  32

The FWBBC Lady Flames suffered another loss at the hands of Hiwassee College Tuesday night, 66-32.

The game was tight much of the first half, but a late Lady Tiger surge helped them build a 32-15 half-time advantage.

In the second half, Hiwassee’s full-court pressure and Lady Flames’ foul trouble resulted in the Lady Tigers pulling out a lopsided victory.

“They have such quick guards,” said Coach Larry Bryan.  “They were on us the whole night.  We did a reasonably good job the first half, but they wore us down and we weren’t able to break their press.”

Two Lady Flames were in double figures—Loni Walser had 15 points and Jaclyn Martin 11.  Rachel Burns notched 18 rebounds and four assists.

Lady Flames Struggle Over the Weekend

Appalachian Bible College  58; Free Will Baptist Bible College 49

Ohio Christian University 81; Free Will Baptist Bible College 32

Kentucky Christian University  78; Free Will Baptist Bible College 48

The Lady Flames dropped three games over the weekend as they made their swing north to play Appalachian Bible College, Ohio Christian University, and Kentucky Christian University.

FWBBC had their best chance for a victory Thursday, but came up short against ABC, 58-49.  Three Flames finished in double figures led by Loni Walser’s 21 points, Rachel Burns’ 13 points, and Jaclyn Martin’s 11 points.

Against OCU and KCU, the Lady Flames were never in either game and lost convincingly.  Martin led the way in the OCU game with 16 points and Walser with 14 points.

In the KCU contest, Walser had the hot hand, scoring 24 points.  Martin had a strong game, scoring 18 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.

“We knew it would be a tough weekend,” said Coach Larry Bryan.  “But the girls work hard and are such a blessing to coach.”

Lady Flames Come Up Short

Appalachian Bible College 43; Free Will Baptist Bible College  34

The Lady Flames started out with a hot hand, but couldn’t maintain it and dropped a 43-34 decision to Appalachian Bible College at Picirilli Activity Center on Saturday.

FWBBC took a commanding lead early in the game with a 13-2 run.  But the Warriors chipped away at the lead and trailed by one point going at intermission, 15-14.

In the second half, the Lady Flames’ scoring didn’t get any better, while the visiting Warriors doubled their first-half output and pulled away for the nine-point win.

“We are still adjusting to our new roles,” said Coach Larry Bryan.  “We put in a solid effort, but you don’t win many ball games shooting 23% from the floor.”

Jaclyn Martin had a double-double to lead FWBBC, with 15 points and 12 rebounds.  Loni Walser had a career-high 18 rebounds.

Lady Flames Lose to Johnson University

Johnson University  48; Free Will Baptist Bible College  35

The Lady Flames played without two starters due to injury and fell to Johnson University 48-35.  FWBBC played great defense throughout the first half and held the Evangels to just 18 points.  But while the defense was stellar, the offense struggled, shooting just 22% from the field.  The second half belonged to JU as they outscored FWBBC and locked up the 13-point win.

“Our effort was there; we just didn’t make our shots,” said Coach Larry Bryan.

Loni Walser had the hot hand for the night scoring 20 points to lead all scorers.  Jaclyn Martin dominated the boards, pulling down 16 rebounds, and Rachel Burns grabbed nine boards.  They each had three assists to lead the Lady Flames.

Lady Flames Cancel Two Games

Due to injuries, the Lady Flames have cancelled two upcoming games.  They were scheduled to play Judson College on Saturday, January 20 and Sewanee, The University of the South on Tuesday, January 24. 

National Champs Defeat Lady Flames

Kentucky Christian University  95; Free Will Baptist Bible College   31

The Lady Flames were never in it as top-ranked Kentucky Christian University defeated FWBBC 95-31. 

The out-sized Flames suffered a big blow when their inside threat, Taylor Ford, went down with an injury three minutes into the game.

“When Taylor went down, I had to change everything, and we didn’t adjust,” said Coach Larry Bryan.  “I had to put players in different positions, and that definitely had an impact on our performance.”

Loni Walser and Jaclyn Martin led the team in scoring with 12 points each.  Martin also led the team in rebounds with six.

Ohio Christian University Defeats Lady Flames

Ohio Christian University 102; Free Will Baptist Bible College 46

It didn’t get any easier for the Lady Flames on Saturday as third-ranked Ohio Christian University came to Picirilli Activity Center.  FWBBC was without starting forward, Taylor Ford, who was injured Friday night.  Then, to make matters worse, point guard Katie Bryan went down with an injury. 

FWBBC had a better offensive game as they knocked down a few more shots than they did the previous night.

“These are the two toughest teams we face,” said Coach Larry Bryan.  “They have a lot of talent and they play hard.  I thought our girls worked hard, and I am pleased with that.”

Loni Walser led the Lady Flames with 22 points.  Jaclyn Martin had seven rebounds.

Lady Flames Struggle after Christmas Break

January 5-8, 2012.

Trinity Baptist College   76     FWBBC   59

Winston-Salem, NC.  After a month layoff for Christmas holidays, the Lady Flames struggled in their three games at Piedmont Baptist College Tournament.

The ladies came up against an aggressive Trinity Baptist College in their first round Thursday.  FWBBC got behind early and trailed by 15 at intermission.  Coming out of the break, the Lady Flames played even with TBC, but it was too little too late.

Taylor Ford led the Flames with 18 points and 15 rebounds.  Loni Walser chipped in 14 points; Katie Bryan dished out nine assists.

Caldwell Tech    60    FWBBC   35

Friday’s game was almost the reverse as the Lady Flames played even the first half and went into the locker room tied at 24.  But point guard and team leader Katie Bryan went out with an injury and did not return.  From that point, Caldwell Tech shut down FWBBC, allowing the Lady Flames just 11 points on a season-low 16% from the field.

Once again, Ford led the way with 12 points.  Walser added 11 points; Rachel Burns pulled down 11 rebounds.

Piedmont International University   60        FWBBC   54

The Lady Flames played their best 40 minutes of basketball this year during their third game in three days against the host school that had already beaten the other two tournament teams. The Conquerors took an early lead and held on to it at halftime. The Lady Flames came out fired up in the second stanza behind the hot shooting hand of Taylor Ford who hit five of eight from the floor and all three from the line.

With just over 30 seconds to play, FWBBC trailed by two.  But they had to foul to try and get the ball back, and PIU knocked down all four free throws to seal the victory.

Ford again led the Lady Flames with 20 points, while Bryan had 14 points in her return.

“We played hard and had our opportunities to pull out a victory,” said Flames’ coach Larry Bryan.  “It came down to free throw shooting, and they made theirs when it counted.  It was a great game and our girls played hard the entire game.”

Taylor Ford was named to the All-Tournament team for her outstanding play.

Lady Flames Drop Two

Toccoa, Georgia. 

December 5, 2011.  The Toccoa Falls Classic turned into a struggle for the young Lady Flames as they dropped a pair of games.

Emmanuel JV 66    FWBBC 39

In the opener against Emmanuel JV, FWBBC played well in the first half, but couldn’t sustain the momentum and fell 66-39.

“We only trailed by four at half,” said Flames’ coach Larry Bryan.  “We were getting it done on both ends of the floor.”

But Emmanuel’s full-court press took its toll, and the Flames faltered in the second half.

Taylor Ford led FWBBC scoring with 13 points; Katie Bryan chipped in eight.

Valley Forge 60    FWBBC 37

Playing solid first-half defense wasn’t enough for the Lady Flames when they couldn’t find the basket on too many open looks and shot 22% for the half, trailing 22-12 at intermission.

Valley Forge built a 20-point second-half lead before FWBBC cut it to 12 points. But then VFC size took over and dominated the boards to create a number of second-chance opportunities.

“They were big,” said Coach Larry Bryan.  “We just couldn’t match up and that hurt us, but we played hard.”

Loni Walser led the Lady Flames with 12 points. Ford and Bryan had eight apiece. Rachel Burns snatched nine rebounds. In addition to her eight points, Bryan had seven rebounds, six steals, and five assists.

Lady Flames Move to 2-1

November 29, 2011.  The Thanksgiving break didn’t seem to affect the Lady Flames Monday night as they handily defeated Covenant College JV, 46-28.

Katie Bryan set the tone as she hit a three-pointer from near the top of the key to give FWBBC a lead they would never relinquish.  The game plan called for ramped up intensity on both ends of the floor, creating turnovers on defense, and finding the open player on offense.  The plan worked.  Most of the Scots’ shots were taken under pressure, while the Flames did a great job getting open looks with their shots.

“I was pleased with our intensity and aggressive play on defense in the first half,” said Flames’ coach Larry Bryan.  “I think we let up a little in the second half because we had a 20-point lead most of the time.  But I am still pleased with our overall play.”

Katie Bryan led the Flames with 16 points and six assists.  Taylor Ford and Rachel Burns were big on the boards, pulling down 11 and 10, respectively.

Now 2-1, the Flames travel to Toccoa Falls, Georgia, to play in the T.F. Classic on Friday and Saturday.

Lady Flames Win/Lose Over the Weekend

Game 1: It didn’t take Coach Larry Bryan long to pick up his first win as the Lady Flames’ head basketball coach. FWBBC defeated Covenant College JV, 43-38.  The first half was a struggle for both teams as neither could mount any offense.  The Lady Flames shot 17% from the field with no three-pointers, but played solid defense and trailed by one at the half.  Early in the second half, FWBBC took the lead, but gave it back midway through the period.  

In the final 10 minutes, the Lady Flames began hitting outside shots and pushed the lead to eight points. However, Covenant wouldn't go away. With 40 seconds to play and holding a slim three-point lead, the Lady Flames spread the offense, and Jaclyn Martin a 12-footer at the buzzer.

Taylor Ford collected a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Coach Bryan said, "Without her effort and leadership, we would not have won. She refused to quit."  

Loni Walser contributed 13 points and hit some big 3's in the second half.  Rachel Burns, playing in her first collegiate game, handled the post pressure and played hard on the defensive end.  Jessica Bell had a key role in the victory, as she was forced to play more than anticipated when Katie Bryan picked up three quick, first-half fouls.  Bryan led the team in assists. The Lady Flames were 9 for 11 from the foul line.

Game 2 - Lady Flames Lose to Hiwassee College

Saturday, FWBBC traveled to Hiwassee and came up on the short end of a 56-36 decision.  The Lady Flames played a competitive first half, but HC pulled away in the second half.

"They are a much more athletic team,” said Coach Bryan.  “They pressed us from the beginning, and it was effective in wearing us down and closing our passing lanes. Because of poor outside shooting, we were ineffective running our offense. This was a learning experience for us. We will be more prepared when we face similar competition."

Katie Bryan led the team in scoring and assists. She managed 14 points, 10 coming from the foul line. Another bright spot came when Laura Riggs scored her first two points.