Miss after miss after miss – Liberty men’s basketball found themselves down 16-5 in the Liberty Arena. With the top spot in the ASUN on the line, the team refocused and played its best game of the season so far.
Liberty erased an early 11-point deficit before burying Jacksonville 88-49 Jan. 18. With the win, the Flames maintained their perfect record in conference play.
The Flames missed their first seven shots on the night before redshirt junior forward Blake Preston put up two important buckets in the paint to keep Liberty within five points.
Senior guard Darius McGhee and redshirt senior guard Keegan McDowell were huge for the Flames’ early comeback efforts. Four 3-pointers in a row between the two got the Flames to a 22-22 tie. On Liberty’s next offensive possession, freshman guard Brody Peebles cut inside before releasing a pass to junior froward Shiloh Robinson, who converted a reverse layup to give the Flames their first lead.
Clicking on all cylinders, Liberty never looked back. From 11:24-2:10 in the first half, Liberty outscored Jacksonville 30-9, crushing the Dolphins’ spirit.
Leading 40-30 coming out of the half, Liberty went on a nearly identical run to the first half. The Flames put up 30 points compared to a dismal eight from the Dolphins. Liberty’s immense lead allowed the team to rest starters as they coasted to an 88-49 win at home.
McGhee dropped 27 points and six rebounds, earning lofty comparisons from Head Coach Ritchie McKay.
“He’s not Steph Curry, but what he does for our team is Steph Curry-esque,” McKay said.
McDowell also had a special night. His seven 3-pointers were good for a career high. He finished with 21 points on just 10 shots, matching his highest scoring total as a Flame.
Despite the team’s slow start, the Flames finished 26-42 from the field and 16-27 from beyond the arc. McKay mentioned that the win was the most complete game he had seen from the team this year.
For Jacksonville, the loss was a massive stain on its season. The Dolphins had the No. 1 scoring defense in college basketball, never letting up more than 69 points prior to Tuesday’s bout. Liberty’s 88 points dropped Jacksonville down to fourth in the country in that statistic.
Unfortunately for the Flames, the team entered COVID-19 protocol just a day after the victory. The Flames’ games against Kennesaw State and Central Arkansas (scheduled for Jan. 19 and Jan. 21) have been postponed to Jan. 31 and Feb. 21 respectively.
Liberty’s next action will therefore come at home against North Alabama Jan. 27. The game is part of a doubleheader in which the Lady Flames play at 3:30 p.m. (also against UNA) before the men’s team plays at 7:00 p.m.
The Flames remain a perfect 4-0 in conference play and 13-6 on the season.
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