LYNCHBURG, Virginia - In the second and last leg of the NCAA Division I exhibition portion of the Salem women's basketball season, head coach Jessica Peatross' squad matched up with the Liberty University Flames on Thursday night. Salem played well, but were overpowered by the Flames by a score of 69-41.

In the first quarter, Salem stuck with the Flames initially as both teams traded introductory baskets to start off the game. Unfortunately, it would be Liberty who made the first run of the game, and they jumped out to a 20-9 lead to end the quarter. 

In the second, it was more of the same for the Tigers as they struggled to keep pace with the Flames' hot shooting. The Salem offensive woes would muster them just 4 points in the quarter, and Liberty would take a 40-13 lead into the halftime break. 

In the third, Salem made some big adjustments, and would make some headway cutting into the Liberty lead. Salem would actually outscore Liberty in this period fueled by some strong offensive play from Emerson Wells, but the Flames still held a 49-26 lead after the third. 

In the final frame, Salem would continue to try to eat away at the Liberty lead. Nerea Arambarri Fernandez and Elena Pericic had strong showings for the Tigers in the period, but Liberty would hold onto the game to pull away with a 69-41 win. 

On the stats sheet, Emerson Wells led the Tigers with 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal. Nerea Arambarri Fernandez was just behind her with 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. 

Now that they have been primed by both the tough exhibition matchups, Salem women's basketball will get their regular season underway this weekend. They are set to matchup with the Fighting Scots of Edinboro on Saturday, November 12th at 4 PM in Edinboro, Pennsylvania.