Game Report: Liberty Defense Locks Up City High

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>IOWA CITY, Iowa - </strong>Liberty High will miss talented guard [player_tooltip player_id='63007' first='Jasmine' last='Barney'] when she heads to Minnesota State next season. The Lightning can take solace in knowing it has Janessa Mosley for two more years, however. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The talented sophomore scored a game-high 10 points Friday night during a 39-25 victory against rival City High here in the Little Hawks gym. She knocked down 4 of 8 field goal attempts and shared team-high honors with six rebounds. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mosley is a smooth player who can get to the rim, score in the mid-range or can jumpers from deep. She's also an advanced defender for her age. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Barney's shot was off in this contest but her defense on City freshman point guard Tessa Driscoll was suffocating. She picked up the newcomer at half court for much of the evening and made it very difficult for the Little Hawks to run their offense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've seen Liberty multiple times this season and have appreciated what senior forward Kennedy Daugherty brings to the Lightning. She joined Mosley in pulling down six boards in this game and chipped in with four points. Her post defense on her player and in shutting down penetration by others proved huge. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Like Mosley, Madeline Casey should ensure Liberty remains competitive for at least the next two seasons despite losing talented seniors in Mosley, Daugherty and [player_tooltip player_id='63046' first='Ava' last='Meyer']. The sophomore guard continually displays a mature, efficient game with strong upside as evidenced by her seven points Friday. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='311373' first='August' last='Palmer'] overcame foul trouble in netting 14 of City's 25 points. The sophomore has succeeded even against defenses designed to stop her. She's proven to be a three-level scorer with an advanced skill set. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Little Hawk senior forward Lauren Koch played one of her better games of 2022-23, scoring eight points. She drained a three-pointer and added an and-one on a pretty post move. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore Emmy McCommas led all competitors in this one with 10 rebounds. She also played solid post defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Driscoll defended Barney as well as could be expected. She also delivered some nice passes. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->