CULLOWHEE, N.C. (AP) — Liberty’s Tavares Speaks hit two free throws with 5 seconds left after Western Carolina called a timeout it didn’t have and was assessed a technical foul, giving the Flames a 63-62 win Monday.
Trey Sumler, who led the Catamounts (4-9) with 23 points, missed a jumper with 3 seconds left and the Flames (4-10) rebounded to win their third straight game and first of the season against a Division I opponent.
Speaks scored 13 points while Tomasz Gielo had 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds for Liberty, which committed a season-high 24 turnovers.
The Flames closed out the first half on a 10-0 run to lead 29-22. Liberty maintained the advantage until Sumler’s two free throws with 58 seconds left made it 59-58.
After Sumler’s three-point play with 10 seconds left, John Caleb Sanders answered with a three-point play for Liberty, and the Western Carolina bench called time out.
