Category Archives: Freedom

Its hard to know how zoo and circus animals feel about their lives, but its certainly within reason to assume some of them would prefer to live somewhere else. Circus staff in Yekaterinburg, Russia, now no longer have to guess whether their feisty elephants Karla and Ranni are happy in their home because they just proved that they are definitely not.

As AP reports, the two elephants recently made a break for freedom, escaping the confines of their circus enclosure during a transfer and taking to the streets of the Russian city. Having a pair of elephants running loose on bustling streets might sound potentially dangerous, but all Karla and Ranni really wanted to do was play in the snow.

Once the pair escaped, they were apparently unreceptive of attempts to bring them back, and just kind of did their own thing for a while as locals came up with a plan to wrangle them.

The elephants apparently belong to a circus troupe out of Italy who had been in Russia for a performance over the holidays. In the process of leaving, the elephants were being transferred to a truck for their departing trip, the animals saw the opportunity to run free, if only for a little while.

The elephants were finally apprehended after the staff was able to snag a rope around their front legs. Even with the rope in place, it reportedly took a dozen people to actually move each elephant in the right direction. The elephants were unharmed but were probably a little disappointed that they didnt have a little more time to frolic in the snow.

Image Source: Russell Millner/imageBROKER/Shutterstock

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Elephants escaped a circus in Russia and used their freedom to play in the snow - BGR

Atheists are quick to criticize God for His alleged deficiencies, claiming His tyrannical nature prevents people from living without fear. According to atheists, Gods behavior mirrors many of the worst dictators in history, which should preclude anyone from worshiping Him.

This criticism is flawed for several reasons; the first of which is the atheists presupposition of an objective morality. By operating under the assumption that tyranny is bad, atheists are assuming there is an objective standard by which all actions should be measured. As I pointed out in a previous article, its impossible to establish an objective standard of morality without God. Any attempt to establish a secular moral framework inevitably leads to arbitrary rules guided by our feelings rather than reality.

Theres another problem with the atheists charge that may be more appealing to libertarians. If God exists, He owns everything, including us. If one is operating under a private property framework, then God is completely justified in setting the rules we should all live by. If He created us, why wouldnt He have a say over how we live our lives? On a libertarian view of private property, God is justified in using His property as He sees fit. It would be incoherent to claim God should abide by our own morality when He is the source of any property we have acquired, including our own bodies.

Fortunately, for our sake, God is not a tyrant; He is the author of freedomand not just under a libertarian theory of private property but because of Gods very nature. There is a biblical defense of free willone of the many gifts God has given us. Romans 2: 6-8 is just one example, but Id rather focus on how Gods nature points to freedom to head off any controversy over biblical interpretations, and because I believe appealing to Gods nature is a stronger argument in defense of free will for people who dont belong to a particular faith.

God loves us by His very nature. If we define God as a maximally great being, it follows He has no imperfections. He is perfect love, which leaves no place for unrighteous hate. God is also omniscient or all-knowing. His moral perfection and perfect knowledge mean God knows true love requires freedom. Love cannot involve coercion. It would be illogical to claim God forces us to love Him because love requires an act of the will. Its not just a feeling. Its a choice.

While its a joy to know God gives us the freedom to love Him, were also free not to love Him. And this is an important insight into why hell exists. Hell is a place where we are eternally separated from God. Hell exists because God does not force people to love or unite with Him. Put another way, God does not send people to hell. People choose hell because of their own free desire not to love God. Imagine if a suspect claimed they kidnapped a random stranger because they loved the personand used that as a defense in court. All rational people would find this defense ludicrous.

What political implications can we draw from Gods love for us? If God is unwilling to take away our freedom even at the risk of some people ending up in hell, then this should give us caution in constructing a political system that undermines our own freedom. If God permits free decisions that could produce eternal consequences, why should we be so eager to limit the freedom of others to avoid the problems of the temporal?

Theres an obvious objection to this: Government should order itself to ensure people make it to heaven, and thats more important than a vague notion of freedom. Its the noblest of goals. But I see at least two major problems with this view.

First, it puts government dangerously close to playing God. If God is willing to permit free choicesregardless of the outcomewhy should we think the government of all institutions is in a position to organize society in way that will steer people to choices that will give glory to God?

Everything we know about government suggests it will fail to achieve its desired outcome, assuming there is an alternate universe in which government majorities primarily care about their constituents afterlife.

Government officials are ill-equipped to organize society in a way that will maximize the number of people who choose to love God. Given the law of unintended consequences, its reasonable to assume government direction of our behavior could lead to fewer people being saved. Good intentions are just not enough to justify government coercion, especially when the issue involves salvation of souls.

A government that protects our free choicesprovided they dont violate the rights of othersis the best political system we can devise. Whether we come to God is not a matter for government. Rather, its decision we need to freely make on our own or with the help of those prepared to give a defense of the hope that lies within.

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Opinion: God, Not Government, Is the Author of Freedom - The Libertarian Republic

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ST. LOUIS - The three St. Louis area chapters of The Links, Incorporated came together to bring nationally acclaimed speaker Kemba Smith to Harris-Stowe State University to serve as the keynote speaker for The Relationship Spectrum: Good, Bad & Ugly.

The program was hosted on Saturday, January 25, at Harris Stowe State College, Emerson Theatre.

While in attendance at Hampton University, Smith says she met a man who turned her life into a nightmare. Kemba went from a college student to a drug dealers girlfriend to domestic violence victim to federal prisoner, leading her to a 24.5-year sentence. This sentence came with no chance for parole, despite being a first time, non-violent offender.

Fortunately, she gained her freedom when President Clinton granted her executive clemency in December 2000 after having served 6 1/2 years. Drawing from this experience, Kemba now shares her story as an educational tool to prevent other youth from going down a similar path.

Kemba has been featured on CNN, Nightline, Court TV, The Early Morning Show,

Donahue, Judge Hatchett, and a host of other television programs, Kembas story has also been written about in several national publications including The Washington Post, New York Times, Glamour, People, JET, Emerge, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, and Essence magazines.

The program also featured a panel discussion on the topic of human trafficking. Speakers include a survivor and a victim counselor and former human trafficking investigator.

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Former student recounts her story of imprisonment to freedom - KPLR 11 St. Louis

When referred to as an artist, Kait Gandy 22, let out a chuckle. Loosely, she admitted. I take classes with Tom Rice. A prospective psychology major and art minor, Gandy registers for every art class taught by favorite professor Tom Rice she can. Even outside of her art classes, though, Gandy makes art frequently and for herself. I wish there was a deep reason for it, she said, but creating something is just funThe freeing feeling you get from creating and playing with color is really fun, and I think thats why I always do it. Its become a way for me to express myself.

The most prominent subject matter in Gandys work is the female body, which she sees as a reflection of her own life. Ive had a lot of negative experiences regarding sex, sexual relationships, [and] intimacy, she said. For me, its just finding autonomy after all that, and learning to take back parts of my body that feel very used throughout my life. Gandy also attributes her focus on the female figure to its simultaneous beauty and stigmatization.

Gandys artistic themes are a balance of selfexploration and playful irreverence. I dont really like to make art that is consistently serious, she explained. I think that gets boring and I think art should be fun. Gandy likes art that makes her laugh, and referred to some of her pieces as shitposting, a reference to the internet phenomenon characterized by surreal, seemingly nonsensical content that is comical because of its unpredictable nature and lack of context.

This sort of unrestrained artistic exploration is something Gandy credits the K College Art Department with allowing, and encouraging, in her. I just feel very free to do whatever ideas I want to do, Gandy said. I dont feel like it has to be anything. Art of course has meaning and impactbut theres also the freedom to just try ideas [here]. Its made [art] more exploratory and fun instead of rigid.

In high school, Gandy was discouraged from pursuing art by a teacher who told her she had no future in it. At K, her passion for art was reawakened in a drawing class she took on a whim because it fit in her schedule. I built a lot of confidence from it, Gandy said. The professors are amazing; Tom Rice, shout out to you! You can just talk to him if youre stressed with whats going on in your life, and hes really good at helping you with art without directly helping you. He pushes you to figure it out.

As for what Gandy wants viewers to take away from her work, its pretty open-ended. Whatever they want to, to be honest, she said. Like, if they look at my art and just see a bunch of boobs, I cant blame em, like, thats what it is. But they can take away whatever they want; I dont think you can ever tell people what to take away because its all interpretation, which is pretty cool.

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Sophomore Kait Gandy Finds Freedom in Artistic Expression - The Index

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SaturdayJan25,2020at9:15PM

BEDFORD, Pa. Another Saturday, another wrestling tournament title for Freedom junior Trent Schultheis.

Schultheis won the 170-pound championship at the Thomas Chevrolet Tournament at Bedford High School Saturday, recording an 18-3 technical fall over Myles Baney of Huntingdon in the championship match.

The top seed in the tournament, Schultheis pinned his way into the semifinals, where he recorded a 7-0 decision over Cole Karpinski of Greenville, who went on to place third.

With the title, Schultheis improved to 25-3 on the season.

His Bulldogs teammate, Kenny Duschek, came just a point short of joining him atop the awards stand.

After advancing to the final with a 4-1 semifinal win over Trevor Weyandt of team champion Chestnut Ridge, Duschek dropped a 3-2 decision to Kaden Cassidy of host Bedford in the 138-pound championship match. Cassidy, the undefeated top seed, improved to 23-0 on the season.

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Freedom's Trent Schultheis earns another tournament title - Sports - The Times - The Times

WILMINGTON The last time the Wilmington High Girls Basketball team squared off against Burlington, things could not have gone much worse, as the Wildcats suffered a 44-36 loss in their season opener on a night when they shot 12-for-57 from the field. The loss was the first of three straight to start the season for the Wildcats.

What a difference a few weeks makes!

On Tuesday night at the Lawrence H. Cushing Gymnasium the two teams renewed acquaintances for the first time since that rough opening night, and this time it was Wilmington who came out on top, winning a 58-50 thriller in overtime against their Middlesex League rivals.

Their 0-3 start is now a distant memory for the Wildcats, who have now won six in a row to improve to 6-3 on the season.

The win also puts Wilmington in a three-way tie for first place in the Middlesex League Freedom Division as the Cats, Burlington and Wakefield all have 6-3 league records. Burlington is now 9-3 overall with the loss.

The Wildcats were led by 17 points and five assists from senior captain Jenna Tavanese, while junior Kylie DuCharme had 15 points and 18 rebounds. They also got several clutch performances down the stretch, including a huge three pointer in the closing seconds by senior captain Olivia Almeida and clutch free throw shooting by DuCharme and junior Jenna Sweeney.

The Wildcats trailed 29-21 at the half and 41-39 at the end of the third. The teams then battled through a tough fourth quarter where they both struggled to find their shooting range. A pair of free throws by Sweeney with 2:48 left in the game gave the Wildcats a 43-42 lead, but Burlington responded with a pair of free throws of their own to take a 44-43 lead with 37.8 seconds left.

Down by one, and with the clock winding down Almeida stepped up with ice water in her veins and nailed a long three-pointer from the top of the key with 21.9 seconds left in the game to give the Wildcats a 46-44 lead. Burlington would not quit, however, as the Red Devils Sydney Pavao knocked down a clutch shot of her own with 12 seconds left to tie the game.

Wilmington had one last chance to win the game in regulation, but were unable to get a shot off and the teams headed to overtime deadlocked at 46.46. While they were unable to close it out in regulation, Wilmington coach Jessica Robinson still loved what she saw from Almeida in that clutch moment.

Olivia hit some big shots for us tonight, Robinson said. Those are the kind of shots where you are saying, no, no, no... ok, good shot! She likes to hit those big time shots. She is not afraid of taking those shots. We talked about it on the bench. Big time players make big time plays.

The Wildcats then went on to dominate the overtime period, scoring the first six points of the frame to take a 52-46 lead with 1:20 left when Almeida hit another clutch shot. And when Burlington tried fouling the Wildcats to stay in the game, Wilmington foiled their plan with clutch free throw shooting by DuCharme and Sweeney, who hit a combined six in a row down the stretch. The Wildcats were 8-for-8 overall from the line in overtime.

Earlier in the game we were struggling from the line, but we hit the free throws that counted, Robinson said.

In the early going of the game, it certainly didnt look like the Wildcats would need any clutch free throw shooting in overtime, as fell into an early 10-0 hole just three minutes into the game. But they didnt panic. Robinson called a timeout at that point and the team regrouped and went on to dominate the rest of the quarter, led by eight points from Tavanese, to take an 18-15 lead at the end of one.

That is where I have seen a marked improvement in the girls, is their ability to fight back, Robinson said. Being down and being able to rally together is something they have really improved on.

As great as that comeback was, for a while it appeared as if it was all for naught, as Burlington extended their lead to as many as nine points in the second quarter before settling or an eight point (29-21) lead at the half.

But the Wildcats fought back once again, taking a 34-32 lead midway through the third quarter, and trailing only 41-39 at the end of three. Their best stretch came midway through the quarter when Tavanese helped give them that 34-32 lead, taking them on an 8-0 run and scoring six of the points on her own.

The thrilling fourth quarter and overtime not only allowed the Wildcats to keep their winning streak alive, but it also showed just how far they have come since opening night.

We had a lot of coming together over winter break, Robinson said. It was been over a month and we spent our winter break figuring out what we need to do, and focusing on us. It is starting to pay off. The girls are playing confident and they are playing together and that is what we were lacking earlier in the season.

Prior to Tuesday nights big win, the Wildcats had picked up a 52-38 win on the road over Middlesex League rival Melrose last Friday night. Tavanese once again led the way offensively with 20 points and nine assists, while DuCharme had 14 points, 6 rebounds and seven blocks and Almeida had eight points and four steals.

Our defense carried us again in that one, Robinson said. We did a great job in our full court pressure. A lot of teams struggle against that. It slows down the game, and takes time off their offensive clock, and we have really done a good job recently of locking in on defense and letting that be our best offense.

The Wildcats will be back in action on Friday night when they host Wakefield in a huge game with a 5:15 tipoff.

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Wilmington in a three-way now in Middlesex League Freedom Division: 'Cats win sixth straight with OT thriller over league leader Burlington -...

Freedom Mobile is expanding the ways customers can get support to include WhatsApp.

The Shaw-owned regional carrier posted to Twitter about the addition, noting that its even easier to get assistance through live messaging.

The tweet includes a link to the companys WhatsApp number so users can send it messages. Clicking the link on a smartphone should open a chat with the official Freedom Mobile account in the WhatsApp app. If youre on a computer, or you dont have WhatsApp installed, itll open the WhatsApp website and let you download the app or use the web version to send a message.

In the chat, WhatsApp notes that the account is the official business account of Freedom Mobile.

Adding more ways for users to get in touch with support and get help is always welcome. Hopefully other carriers get on board and offer this feature as well.

On another note, these business-to-customer communication applications are exactly how Facebook plans to monetize WhatsApp. Initially, the social media giant planned to introduce ads to the platform but recently abandoned that in favour of improving business features.

Giving companies, such as Freedom, a direct line to customers to provide support is far more useful than packing WhatsApp with ads.

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Freedom Mobile now offers live messaging support through WhatsApp - MobileSyrup

Jonathan Franzen's new novel, Freedom, like his previous one, The Corrections, is a masterpiece of American fiction . . . Freedom is a still richer and deeper work--less glittering on its surface but more confident in its method . . . Like all great novels, Freedom does not just tell an engrossing story. It illuminates, through the steady radiance of its author's profound moral intelligence, the world we thought we knew. Sam Tanenhaus, The New York Times Book Review (cover review)

Writing in prose that is at once visceral and lapidary, Mr. Franzen shows us how his characters strive to navigate a world of technological gadgetry and ever-shifting mores, how they struggle to balance the equation between their expectations of life and dull reality, their political ideals and mercenary personal urges. He proves himself as adept at adolescent comedy as he is at grown-up tragedy; as skilled at holding a mirror to the world his people inhabit day by dreary day as he is at limning their messy inner lives . . . Mr. Franzen has written his most deeply felt novel yet--a novel that turns out to be both a compelling biography of a dysfunctional family and an indelible portrait of our times. Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

[Freedom is] a work of total genius: a reminder both of why everyone got so excited about Franzen in the first place and of the undeniable magic--even today, in our digital end-times--of the old-timey literary novel . . . Few modern novelists rival Franzen in that primal skill of creating life, of tricking us into believing that a text-generated set of neural patterns, a purely abstract mind-event, is in fact a tangible human being that we can love, pity, hate, admire, and possibly even run into someday at the grocery store. His characters are so densely rendered--their mental lives sketched right down to the smallest cognitive micrograins--that they manage to bust through the art-reality threshold: They hit us in the same place that our friends and neighbors and classmates and lovers do. This is what makes Franzen's books such special event. Sam Anderson, New York Magazine

The Great American Novel. Esquire

Epic. Vanity Fair

Exhilarating . . . Gripping . . . Moving . . . On a level with The Great Gatsby [and] Gone With the Wind. Craig Seligman, Bloomberg

A page turner that engages the mind. Dan Cryer, Newsday

Consuming and extraordinarily moving. David L. Ulin, Los Angeles Times

It's refreshing to see a novelist who wants to engage the questions of our time in the tradition of 20th-century greats like John Steinbeck and Sinclair Lewis . . . [This] is a book you'll still be thinking about long after you've finished reading it. Patrick Condon, Associated Press

Deeply moving and superbly crafted . . . It's such a full novel, rich in description, broad in its reach and full of wry observations. Bob Hoover, Pittsburg Post-Gazette

Freedom, his new book, and The Corrections, its predecessor, are at the same time engrossing sagas and scathing satires, and both books are funny, sad, cranky, revelatory, hugely ambitious, deeply human and, at times, truly disturbing. Together, they provide a striking and quite possibly enduring portrait of America in the years on either side of the turn of the 21st century . . . His writing is so gorgeous . . . Franzen is one of those exceptional writers whose works define an era and a generation, and his books demand to be read. Harper Barnes, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

A tour de force . . . one of the finest novelists of his generation. Glenn C. Altschuler, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Freedom is a bracingly earnest, ethically serious psychological epic that introduces and exploits its characters' mistakes and foibles, then challenges itself to discover myriad ways to eventually forgive them their trespasses . . . A highly readable triumph of conventional realism . . . Addictive. Akiva Gottlieb, The National

A lavishly entertaining account of a family at war with itself, and a brilliant dissection of the dissatisfactions and disappointments of contemporary American life . . . Compelling . . . Freedom, though frequently funny, is ultimately tender: its emotional currency is both the pain and the pleasure that that word implies . . . A rare pleasure, an irresistible invitation to binge-read . . . That it also grapples with a fundamental dilemma of modern middle-class America--namely: Is it really still OK to spend your life asserting your unalienable right to the pursuit of happiness, when the rest of the world is in such a state?--is what makes it something wonderful. If Freedom doesn't qualify as a Great American Novel for our time, then I don't know what would . . . The reason to celebrate him is not that he is doing something new but that he is doing something old, presumed dead--and doing it brilliantly. Freedom bids for a place alongside the great achievements of his predecessors, not his contemporaries; it belongs on the same shelf as John Updike's Rabbit, Tom Wolfe's The Bonfire of the Vanities, Philip Roth's American Pastoral. It is the first Great American Novel of the post-Obama era. Benjamin Secher, Telegraph (U. K.)

A literary genius for our time . . . An extraordinary work . . . This is simply on a different plane from other contemporary fiction . . . A novel of our time . . . Demands comparison rather with Saul Bellow's Herzog. . . a modern classic . . . Freedom is the novel of the year, and the century. Jonathan Jones, Guardian (U.K.)

A triumph . . . A pleasure to read. Michael H. Miller, The New York Observer

Brilliant . . . Epic . . . An extraordinary stylist. Ron Charles, The Washington Post

A surprisingly moving and even hopeful epic. Heller McAlpin, NPR

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Amazon.com: Freedom: A Novel (9780374158460): Jonathan ...

RICHMOND, Va. A group of active duty service members, veterans and family members are redefining what it means to walk a mile in someone elses shoes.

Gathered at the Virginia War Memorial early Jan. 7, this small community embarked on a journey that pushed them far beyond their comfort zone, all in an effort to raise support and awareness for a cause that hits close to home.

Freedom Ruck, as its called, takes marchers approximately 106 miles from Richmond to the Arlington National Cemetery.

The Freedom Ruck

For anyone who has served in the military, the words ruck march might remind them of the last must-pass events at basic training. For Vic Wise, however, ruck marching has served as a way to honor service members past and present.

I come from a military family, explained Wise. I have seen the physical and emotional toll men and women in uniform face both at home and overseas.

Inspired by their sacrifice and their commitment to serve, Wise decided he had to do something.

Ive always wanted to give back in a way that was impactful, but I never really knew where to start, said Wise. I never served, but both my dad and my brother were in the Army.

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Seven years ago, while running past the Virginia War Memorial, it hit him.

The sun was rising over the river and everything was calm, said Wise. I had an epiphany of This is where I need to start.

Wise determined he wanted to do something over the course of two days to accurately showcase the physical and mental sacrifice men and women in uniform face on a daily basis.

I wanted to do something no one has ever done before, said Wise. I thought, What if I took my ruck, attach an American flag to it and ruck from the Virginia War Memorial all the way to Arlington National Cemetery?

Wise did the research the entire journey would take him approximately 106 miles up Route 1.

We coined the name Freedom Ruck to honor those who have sacrificed for their country, said Wise. This wasnt about me. This was about them.

Wise took to social media to share plans of his upcoming journey, even catching the attention of country music star Brantley Gilbert.

Brantley was gracious enough to share about the ruck on social media, said Wise. That really helped spread the word of Freedom Ruck.

On Jan. 10, 2014, nearly two weeks after his initial run, Wise stood on the steps of the Virginia War Memorial, accompanied by a small group of friends and family to see him off.

They didnt really understand what I was doing, laughed Wise. But I was thankful for their support.

Despite a constant flow of rain and wind, Wise pushed north, stopping every so often to refuel and to change his socks.

Family members updated followers on social media of Wises progress while passing cars honked their support.

On Jan. 12, an exhausted Wise made it to Arlington National Cemetery.

Not only did Wise complete the 106-mile journey from Richmond to Arlington, but he also met his goal of completing the ruck in under 48 hours.

His final time was 47 hours and 45 minutes.

After all was said and done, we ended up raising about $10,000, which we donated to The Navy SEAL Foundation, explained Wise.

The foundation, which provides support and assistance to the Naval Special Warfare community and its families, brought Wises mission to honor service members full circle.

In the days following the ruck, Wise received an outpouring of support, including offers to ruck alongside him should he complete the 106-mile trek again.

Initially, I thought this was just going to be a one-time thing, admitted Wise. So many people wanted to be a part of Freedom Ruck that it turned into an annual event.

For the seventh year in a row, Wise was back at the Virginia War Memorial. This time he was accompanied by a group of 15-20 marchers, brought together by their military and law enforcement ties.

In the crowd was U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Hunter Kiser, a recruiter stationed in Lynchburg, Virginia.

This is my second year participating in the Freedom Ruck, said Kiser. Ive known Vic for years, but Ive never been stationed close enough to really take part until now.

While many of the participants tap out after a certain point, Kiser says the goal is always to finish.

Last year I did about 25 miles and this year I got up to about mile 48 before I had to call it, explained Kiser. But Ive gone into each year hoping to conquer all 106 miles.

For 48 miles, Kiser and the other participants shared stories of their military experiences, their families and offered life advice for those seeking it.

For the first 30 miles, there was enough people to jump around and get to know each other, said Kiser. But when all you have are the flashing lights of the escort in front of you in the middle of the night, you need music or books on tape to keep your mind occupied.

With just about one week after Freedom Ruck 2020, Kiser already has his sights on Freedom Ruck 2021.

Its already written on my mirror: Freedom Ruck 2021, shared Kiser. I see it every morning when I wake up and every night before I go to bed. Ill be ready.

The impact

Since stepping off for his first Freedom Ruck in 2014, Freedom Ruck has raised nearly $55,000 for The Navy SEAL foundation.

The foundations focus is to cover outside what the government will cover should a teammate become ill or injured, explained Wise.

In particular, the foundation hosts an annual Gold Star Family retreat for families dealing with the loss of loved ones.

It allows these families to come together and heal, said Wise. Its providing families with the support they need.

In the years following the launch of Freedom Ruck, Wise has heard directly from families benefiting from The Navy SEAL Foundation. From emails and letters, to hugs and words of thanks, Wise says he uses the support he has received as motivation during his rucks.

Ive had Gold Star Families reach out and share about what the foundation has done for their families, said Wise. This is why were out here and why we do what we do.

To learn more about Freedom Ruck and how you can support the Navy SEAL Foundation, visit http://www.freedomruck.com.

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Freedom Ruck: 106 miles of sacrifice and service - Military Times

HICKORY Led by three players with 14 or more points apiece, the consensus No. 1 Freedom girls basketball team never trailed in a 66-17 road win over last-place St. Stephens on Friday in Northwestern 3A/4A Conference play.

Freedom set a tone early in the halfcourt on offense as well as on the glass, with 10 first-period points in the lane. Junior forward Adair Garrison (15 points) scored six of the teams first eight, and all four starting guards grabbed rebounds in the opening 4 minutes, led by Jayda Glass three.

Garrison capped the period with an offensive rebound and assist to Josie Hise on a backcut, and the Lady Patriots (18-0, 7-0) led 16-8.

The guests then got the fullcourt press rolling and blitzed the Indians to the tune of 27-3 in the second period to go up 43-11 at the half, and by the third quarter, the game hit the mercy-rule running clock.

We were able to turn the pressure up on defense there and got some turnovers, Freedom coach Amber Reddick said. We hadnt been super happy with the press lately, but I thought we did a good job squeezing the middle and with coverages.

Freedoms Danisha Hemphill tied Garrison for team-high honors with 15 points, Blaikley Crooks added 14, Christena Rhone scored eight and Hise finished with seven.

Despite this being Reddicks second team in the last five seasons to have rolled to a lengthy unbeaten streak to start the year the 2015-16 state title version holds the countys lone perfect season in the sport she said the sky wont fall if they lose one, and that the unblemished record isnt the primary focus.

Were talking about things like energy and focus for four quarters, Reddick said. We know well get the best shot from everyone every night. And of course, everyone would like to go undefeated, but we have to keep in mind every game is one step toward our goal and keep finding ways to improve our effort and concentration.

Freedom 103, St. Stephens 64

The Patriots (17-1, 6-1) led 27-5 at the end of the opening period and didnt stop there, posting 24 points or more in each quarter to hit the century mark for the second time this year, both against Saint.

It was 55-22 at halftime, and the contest hit the running clock with about 1:30 to go.

A season-best eight Patriots scored eight or more points, led by seniors Bradley Davis and James Freemans 20 and 18 respectively. Quentin Rice joined them in double figures with 12, Nick Johnson and Ben Tolbert scored nine each and Qualique Garner, Jayden Birchfield and Kason Ledford added eight apiece.

One through 13 tonight, everyone made quality contributions, Freedom coach Clint Zimmerman said. As a group, we defended well at the fullcourt and halfcourt levels. We rebounded it well on both ends and never had a lapse in our energy.

Two plays that really stand out came late in the game, Saiveon Pitman laying out for a loose ball at halfcourt and Kason Ledford taking a charge late when the game was already out of reach. It was really enjoyable tonight watching everyone enjoy the successes of their teammates more than their own.

Freedom hosts Hickory, whose boys and girls both occupy second place in the NWC, on Tuesday.

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Freedom teams hit running clock vs. Saint on road - Morganton News Herald