The bitterness of a 2-of-19 shooting performance still lingered in Tanner Meyer’s mind when he stepped on to the court Friday night. The last time his team had faced Bethel Christian, the Liberty …
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Meyer Helps Liberty Christian Avenge Loss
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By Derrick Forsythe, Record Sports Editor
The bitterness of a 2-of-19 shooting performance still lingered in Tanner Meyer’s mind when he stepped on to the court Friday night.The last time his team had faced Bethel Christian, the Liberty Christian junior had mustered a measly five points as the Eagles were dealt a deflating 21-point defeat.“Right after my terrible performance I took time to get in the gym and shoot more,” said Meyer. “I was immediately ready for this home game and rematch.”Even as Meyer began to find his touch from all over the floor on Friday, his team still wasn’t on track to avenge its loss. Not until his fourth-quarter scoring outburst and a defensive stand by Luke Bruning did Liberty Christian pull itself from submission and rally to a 62-56 overtime victory.Meyer wouldn’t be denied this time, not by the rim nor the Knight’s defense. He netted 27 points and dished out five assists to put the Eagles back in the Metro Athletic Conference race.“He wanted the ball,” said Coach Butch Clark. “We ran the 1-4 high, and he likes that set because he can come off the screen and shoot threes.”Liberty Christian trailed by as much as 12, buried by a barrage of three-pointers by Bethel. The visiting Knights led 16-9 after the first quarter and 28-18 by halftime.“We kept losing their shooters in the first half, especially out on the wing,” said Clark. “We adjusted at halftime.”The Eagles also improved their ballhandling in the second half, committing just five turnovers as opposed to nine in the first two quarters.“After halftime we came out and Calvin was setting me screens, and I was pulling up and hitting those shots,” said Meyer. “That’s when I knew it was going to be a good night.”Bethel’s Wes Parris had proven virtually unstoppable as a scoring threat in the first half. If he touched the ball, he scored.So, Clark decided to turn to Bruning in an effort to limit the swingman’s touches.“When we put Luke on him, that was the difference,” said Clark. “We tried a couple things, but we just didn’t have a good matchup. I thought Luke did a really good job on him.”“He liked to post up,” said Bruning. “He was destroying us in the middle. I didn’t want him to have the ball at all, so I tried to deny him from getting it.”Liberty Christian cut the deficit to seven heading into the fourth quarter, as both teams had to take into account their foul count. Calvin Edwards provided an edge inside for the Eagles, but he had picked up two first-half fouls and was forced to play conservatively for a while.“They like to live on the perimeter, so we thought our chances of winning a game in the paint were a lot better than out on the perimeter,” said Clark.Edwards seemed to frustrate Parris, as the trio of Jake Pietzman, Bruning and Meyer picked part Bethel in the halfcourt. Liberty Christian began generating points off turnovers, and with the each transition basket, the momentum gradually shifted.“We took better care of the ball and played better defense on the perimeter (in the second half),” said Clark.The Eagles finally gained control when Meyer drained perhaps the most crucial of his six three-pointers to lift Liberty Christian to a 45-44 lead.The teams traded buckets until a 51-51 tie ensued through a scoreless final minute of regulation.Edwards gave the Eagles the first lead of overtime before picking up his fourth foul. His ability to remain on the floor the duration of the game proved pivotal, as he amassed 16 points and 20 rebounds, split evenly between the offensive and defensive ends. Edwards also nabbed six steals, imposing his will underneath the basket.Pietzman secured the win at the free-throw line after Bethel Christian’s fatigue led to fouls on rebounding attempts.“Jake is playing with a lot more confidence since Christmas,” said Clark. “He stepped up and knocked down some big free throws against good competition tonight. He gives us a fourth scoring threat.”Bruning’s contributions may have been less obvious than his teammate’s but his ability to corral Parris and hand out a team-best seven assists was critical.“We need to win out the rest of the season, and we have a chance to finish first in the conference even after our terrible start,” added Meyer. “I know if we can beat them, we can beat anybody else,” said Bruning.
Liberty Christian junior Tanner Meyer scored 27 points to lead Liberty Christian past Bethel Christian in overtime.
