BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Playing less than an hour away from his hometown of Raleigh, N.C. on Wednesday evening, Tavares Speaks led the Liberty men’s basketball team with a career-high 28 points, helping the Flames pick up an 82-80 victory over Campbell. The win against the Big South North Division opponent inside Gore Arena marks Liberty’s first conference road victory of the season.

Liberty led by as much as 13 with 9:33 to go in the contest, but the Fighting Camels stormed back, cutting the Flames’ lead to two. With Campbell having a chance to tie or win the game in the final 10 seconds, Liberty was able to thwart a pair of layup attempts by Darian Hooker and Darius Leonard, securing the crucial road victory.

Speaks’ 28-point performance comes just four days after a 27-point effort by John Caleb Sanders in Liberty’s Saturday game against Gardner-Webb. The Sugar Land, Texas native followed up with 18 points against the Camels. Davon Marshall rounded out Liberty’s double-digit scorers with 12 tallies on the night.

Campbell point guard Trey Freeman paced the Camels with 22 points, followed by Leonard (17), Hooker and Marvelle Harris (13).

Liberty shot 50.9 percent (28-of-55) from the field in the contest, compared to 44.4 percent (28-of-63) for Campbell. The Flames capitalized in the paint, outscoring the Camels, 40-26.

With the win, Liberty moves to 9-17 on the season and 5-7 in conference action. Campbell falls to 10-16 overall and 5-7 in Big South play.

Leonard put the Fighting Camels on the board first with back-to-back baskets. The Flames countered with an 11-0 run highlighted by six points from Speaks and a Marshall three-pointer. Speaks cemented the burst by picking the pocket of Antwon Oliver and taking it to the rack for a fast break dunk at 13:20. Just under the 12-minute mark, Harris answered on the other end with a two-handed jam to pull the Camels within five.

Campbell continued to chip away at the Liberty lead in the ensuing minutes. A Freeman jumper at 8:14 put the home team within one. Following a made free throw by Joel Vander Pol, Leonard knotted the contest at 18 with a jumper.

Liberty led by as much as four points during the remaining minutes of the opening stanza. Harris gave the Camels a two-point lead with a minute left, sinking a pair of free throws. Sanders answered on the other end, nailing a trey with 33 ticks on the clock to give Liberty a 35-34 halftime lead.

Early in the second period, Campbell evened the contest at 36, but the Flames answered with a 6-0 surge capped by a Speaks layup at 18:14. The Camels pulled within two just over two minutes later. However, Liberty began to gradually create distance. Speaks notched his new career high for points with two made free throws at 12:10. Marshall followed up with a three-pointer 36 seconds later, putting the Flames ahead by 11, 61-50.

Campbell, of course, did not go away, outscoring the Flames, 11-3 in the final five minutes. However, the late surge was not enough, as Liberty held off the Camels for the 82-80 final

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Carl Torbush, Liberty’s assistant head football coach and linebackers coach, announced his retirement from coaching earlier today.

“On behalf of our staff and players, we thank Carl for his godly experience and the knowledge he possessed to develop young men to glorify Christ here at Liberty University,” said Liberty head football coach Turner Gill. “We want nothing but the best for he and his family in all their future endeavors.”

After joining Liberty’s staff last January, Torbush helped Liberty convert its defense back to a “4-3” defensive scheme.

Liberty finished the 2012 season ranked No. 15 nationally in total defense (314.73 yards per game allowed), No. 24 in rushing defense (126.09 yards allowed per game), No. 32 in passing defense (188.64 yards allowed per game) and No. 38 in scoring defense (22.18 points per game allowed).

Torbush’s linebackers also helped the Flames rank No. 3 nationally in first down defense (14.00 first downs allowed per game) and No. 12 in third-down conversion defense (30.92 opponent conversion percent, 47-of-152).

Two of Liberty’s top three tacklers in 2012 were linebackers, with both earning all-conference honors.

Scott Hyland finished second on the team with 55 tackles (19 solo, 36 assisted) and earned All-Big South second-team honors. The rising senior’s career year also included five tackles for a loss, two quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and an interception return for 11 yards.

Nick Sigmon led the Flames and ranked No. 55 nationally with 11 tackles for loss en route to earning All-Big South first-team honors. He ranked third on the team with 52 tackles (32 solo, 20 assisted) and he returned an interception 21 yards for a touchdown in Liberty’s upset victory over No. 6/8 Stony Brook.

Torbush was one of two former head coaches that Gill brought onto his staff last year. Torbush came to Liberty with 30-plus years of coaching experience on his resume, including stints as head coach at Louisiana Tech (1987) and North Carolina (1998-2000).

Torbush also served as defensive coordinator at six different FBS programs, including Mississippi (1983-86), North Carolina (1988-98), Alabama (2001-02), Texas A&M (2003-05), Mississippi State (2009) and Kansas (2010-11).

Prior to joining Gill at Kansas, Torbush spent six out of the previous nine seasons as an FBS defensive coordinator at Mississippi State (2009), Texas A&M (2003-05) and Alabama (2001-02). During each stop, Torbush had direct oversight of each program's linebacking corp.

During his time at Alabama, Torbush guided the Crimson Tide to a No. 3 final national ranking in 2002 and he was named SEC Assistant Coach of the Year in 2002.

Sandwiched in between his three FBS defensive coordinator stops, Torbush returned to his alma mater and served as assistant head coach and linebackers coach at Carson-Newman for three seasons (2006-08).

During the three-year span, Carson-Newman posted a 25-8 record, spotlighted by a 10-1 record in 2007.

The most notable coaching stop on Torbush's resume was at North Carolina, where he served as defensive coordinator from 1988-97 before being promoted to head coach for three seasons (1998-2000).

While at North Carolina, Torbush's defense led the ACC in 1995, 1996 and 1997 and he was named National Defensive Coordinator of the Year in 1996.

As head coach of the Tar Heels, Torbush guided North Carolina to the 1998 Las Vegas Bowl. In total, Torbush was a part of 11 teams that made bowl appearances.

Prior to his days at North Carolina, Torbush served one season as head coach at Louisiana Tech (1987).

Torbush got his coaching start at Carter High School in Knoxville, Tenn., in 1974 before joining Baylor's staff as a graduate assistant in 1975.

Torbush received his first full-time coaching position in 1976 at Southeastern Louisiana, where he spent four years as a linebackers and defensive ends coach (1976-79).

Following a three-year stint at Louisiana Tech (1980-82), Torbush was named the defensive coordinator at Mississippi for four seasons (1983-86). During his final year, the Rebels led the SEC in total defense.

During his playing days at Carson-Newman, Torbush was a letterwinner in both football and baseball, earning NAIA All-America first team honors in both sports. The success of his collegiate playing days has earned him a spot in both the Carson-Newman and Knoxville, Tenn., Sports Hall of Fames.

Prior to starting his football coaching career, Torbush played one year of minor league baseball in the Kansas City Royals organization (1975).

Torbush, a native of East Spencer, N.C., earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Carson-Newman in 1974. He would go on to earn a master's degree from Baylor in physical education in 1976.

Carl Torbush’s Coaching Resume:

2012 (1 year) – Liberty (LB)

2010-11 (2 years) – Kansas (LB)

2009 (1 year) – Mississippi State (Def. Coord./LB)

2006-08 (4 years) – Carson-Newman (Asst. HC/LB)

2003-05 (3 years) – Texas A&M (Def. Coord./LB)

2001-02 (2 years) – Alabama (Def. Coord./LB)

1998-2000 (3 years) – North Carolina (HC)

1988-97 (10 years) – North Carolina (Def. Coord./LB)

1987 (1 year) – Louisiana Tech (HC)

1983-86 (4 years) – Mississippi (Def. Coord.)

1980-82 (3 years) – Louisiana Tech (Asst. HC/LB)

1976-79 (4 years) – Southeastern Louisiana (LB/DE)

1975 (1 year) – Baylor (GA)

1974 (1 year) – Carter, Tenn. (HS Assistant)