Flames get 10 from Baker in rout

For a while, Tyler Baker wondered if he’d string five minutes together, much less five games.

The Liberty forward missed his entire freshman season with a stress fracture in his right foot. He came back the next season and played 31 games. But during his sophomore season, he played 12 minutes before the foot injury flared up again.

Just when that healed, a painful bone bruise developed in his left foot, and Baker spent the first month of this season in a walking boot. Baker was frustrated, but he was determined not to rush back to the floor. After the Flames’ lost at UNC Asheville in November, LU coach Ritchie McKay was asked when Baker might return. The response: “You’ll have to ask him.”

McKay’s wasn’t trying to be snarky. Instead, he trusted the 6-foot-9 Baker. When his body was right, he’d return.

Baker hit double figures for the first time this season Sunday in Liberty’s 86-55 rout of Cincinnati Christian at the Vines Center, scoring 10 points in 14 minutes. It was Baker’s fifth straight appearance after missing Liberty’s first nine games, and he showed flashes of what makes him a valuable contributor for the Flames.

Baker scored once with a jump hook after backing down his defender on the block. He finished with five rebounds and got to the free-throw line a team-high six times. On a team with little size, a versatile big man who can run the floor and play inside and out can be a major asset.

“It’s a big body inside that can alter shots and help us in the paint,” said Liberty guard Seth Curry, who led all scorers with 21 points and hit 5 of 9 3-pointers. “He gives us a post presence we don’t have, a back-to-the-basket guy.”

Baker can be an asset defensively, too, as Curry notes.

“When you have a big, you can play a little man when he’s in there. He can guard a big man.”

Liberty has played mostly zone this defense, especially against larger opponents. But the Flames showed some different looks against the Eagles (7-6), including a nifty half-court trap in the first half that helped the Flames (10-4) build a 22-point lead by halftime.

Baker admits the foot injuries have been frustrating, but he said they’ve helped him learn how to push through adversity.

“I’m feeling more confident every day,” Baker said. “Practices help a lot, because I play a lot more there than in games. But I’m feeling good. I’ve got to get my legs under me. But I’m just blessed to be out there, and really happy.”

Baker has put together consecutive solid games, as he scored eight points in 11 minutes against USC Upstate Tuesday in Las Vegas. There’s still plenty of room for improvement. Because of all the time off, Baker is a step slow defensively and finds himself in compromising positions. He fouled out against USC Upstate and picked up four fouls Sunday against CCU.

“My feeling about Tyler is that when he’s healthy, he’s an all-league player,” McKay said. “I fully expect him to get better and better as he gets fully re-acclimated to playing again on a daily basis.”

Five Flames scored in double figures as Liberty won its 10th game of the season before New Year’s Day for the first time in school history. Brolin Floyd had 14 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Jesse Sanders added 10 points and eight rebounds. Anthony Smith, who came off the bench for the first time this season because he was late for Sunday’s pre-game shootaround, scored 10 points and had two steals.

Jake Santel led the Eagles with 15 points.