LYNCHBURG, Va. (Interstat) — The Liberty Lady Flames used a dominant third-quarter surge to pull away from the East Carolina Pirates, securing a 69-53 victory in a non-conference women’s basketball game Friday afternoon at the Vines Center.

A decisive 23-6 advantage in the third period turned a competitive contest into a comfortable win for the Lady Flames, who improved to 2-0 on the young season. East Carolina, coming off a season-opening win, fell to 1-1.

Liberty was led by a standout performance from Lynchburg native Avery Mills, who recorded a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes of action. She was instrumental in the Lady Flames’ second-half breakout, providing consistent scoring and control on the boards.

The game was tightly contested through the first half. Liberty established an early lead, closing the first quarter with a 19-11 advantage. East Carolina responded with its best stretch of the game in the second quarter, outscoring the Lady Flames 22-15 to narrow the gap. By halftime, Liberty’s lead was a precarious 34-33, setting the stage for the decisive third quarter.

After the break, Liberty’s offense found another gear while its defense completely stifled the Pirates. The Lady Flames erupted for 23 points in the frame, connecting on a series of shots from inside and beyond the arc. Conversely, East Carolina’s offense went cold, managing only six points as Liberty built an insurmountable 57-39 lead heading into the final period. The Pirates could not mount a significant challenge in the fourth quarter.

Liberty’s efficiency was the story of the game. The Lady Flames shot an impressive 53 percent from the floor, including a remarkable 56 percent from three-point range, making 10 of 18 attempts. East Carolina struggled mightily with its shooting, converting on just 27 percent of its field goal attempts and a frigid 15 percent from three-point range, making only 4 of 27.

Despite committing 23 turnovers, which led to 24 points for East Carolina, Liberty’s superior shooting and rebounding compensated for the ball-handling issues. The Lady Flames out-rebounded the Pirates and were more effective in converting their possessions into points, finishing with an offensive rating of 97.7 compared to East Carolina’s 71.6.

Joining Mills in leading the Liberty attack was Claudia Acin of Girona, Spain, who dished out a game-high seven assists to go along with 17 points. Emmy Stout of San Diego, California, provided a significant spark off the bench with 15 points, four rebounds and two blocks, contributing to Liberty’s interior presence.

For East Carolina, Anzhane’ Hutton led the way with 13 points and six rebounds. Savannah Brooks of Taneytown, Maryland, added 11 points, and Kennedy Fauntleroy of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, chipped in 10 points. The Pirates’ offense, however, could not find a consistent rhythm against Liberty’s defense, which recorded nine steals and three blocks.

The victory extends Liberty’s strong start under first-year head coach, following a 78-49 win over Frostburg State on Tuesday. East Carolina was looking to build on its own season-opening 82-63 victory over UNC Wilmington but was ultimately undone by one disastrous quarter.

A crowd of 1,050 at the Vines Center watched the Lady Flames execute their game plan with precision after halftime, cementing their status as a formidable early-season team. The result was largely in line with pregame projections from Interstat’s ELO system, which gave Liberty an 87.10 percent probability to win.

East Carolina will look to rebound when it returns home to face Charleston Southern on Tuesday. Liberty, now 2-0, faces a quick turnaround and a tougher test, hitting the road to play James Madison on Wednesday. The Lady Flames’ upcoming schedule also features a high-profile home game against Duke on Nov. 16.