Liberty girls grow in a pinch

Liberty girls basketball coach Rich Santigate knows playing in close games helps his team's maturation process.

The Patriots took a big step forward Friday.

Free throws by senior Tae'lor Monroe and junior Sydney Clark in the final 44 seconds gave Liberty enough cushion to gain a 51-47 victory over West Torrance (Calif.) in the Las Vegas Holiday Classic at Centennial.

The Patriots (11-4), who beat Shadow Ridge, 60-10 earlier Friday, finished 4-0 in pool play to earn a spot in today's semifinals at 11:40 a.m. The championship is scheduled at 3:40 p.m. Liberty has won 10 straight games since a 1-4 start.

"Playing a game like this really gives you confidence," Santigate said. "We missed a lot of foul shots down the stretch, but we made the ones when we needed them."

The Patriots hit 4 of 6 free throws in the final 44 seconds to overcome a 13-for-26 overall performance from the line.

Sophomore Paris Strawther led the Patriots with 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Clark supplied 12 points.

Liberty was in control 31-22 early in the third quarter before a 3-point barrage carried West Torrance into the lead.

Sydney Chase, who made seven 3s to score a game-high 21 points, nailed one from behind the arc to cap an 18-8 surge that put West Torrance ahead 40-39 with 4:59 remaining.

From there, it became a classic chess match - the strong inside game of Liberty against the 3-point shooting of West Torrance, which made 10 of 22 from behind the arc.

Consecutive baskets by junior Jamellia Clark and Strawther put Liberty ahead 45-41 with about three minutes left, but Chase answered with another 3-pointer.

Liberty's defense held West Torrance to three points in the final two minutes to gain the victory.

"This was a fun game to be involved with," Santigate said. "I can't say enough about the way (Strawther) played. She made the difference inside."