Flames Hit the Road to Face High Point
1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Liberty at High Point game notes
TV Coverage:
Big South Network
Radio Coverage:
Liberty Flames Sports Network – Radio
WPLY 98.5/105.9 FM (Lynchburg)
Play-By-Play Broadcaster: Alan York
The Game
Liberty enters the third week of conference play as one of five teams with a 3-1 record and tied for the top spot in the Big South. The Flames will hit the road to travel to North Carolina as they begin their roadtrip with a matchup against High Point. Liberty will look to extend its winning streak to three games over the Panthers after sweeping HPU last season, winning by an average of three points.
Matchup Notes
• This will be the 27th meeting between Liberty and Campbell in school history.
• This will be the 38th meeting between Liberty and High Point in school history.
• Last year at the Millis Athletic and Convocation Center, the Flames came away with the 80-76 win over the Panthers.
• Liberty is 7-10 all-time on the road against High Point and under coach Ritchie McKay the Flames are 2-1 at the Millis Athletic and Convocation Center.
• High Point has had one of the toughest schedules to open Big South play having face three teams (Longwood, Winthrop, UNC Asheville) who are tied for first place with a 3-1 record.
• Head coach Ritchie McKay is 5-1 all-time against High Point, winning the last five
meetings against the Panthers.
Quick Notes
• The Flames are 0-1 this season in the state of North Carolina, having suffered a 57-70 loss at UNCG.
• Ryan Kemrite is ninth in scoring in the Big South avergaing 13.9 ppg and has bumped his average to 15.0 ppg in Big South games.
• In the Big South Preseason Coaches Poll, Liberty was picked to finish second in the conference, while High Point was slotted in fifth place.
• 2016 Big South Coach of the Year Ritchie McKay is in his fourth year as head coach at Liberty.
Series History
Liberty vs. Campbell Series History (38th All-Time Meeting, Liberty leads 26-11)
Coaching Matchup
Liberty Head Coach: Ritchie McKay
Overall Record: 224-214 (15th season)
Record at Liberty: 59-56 (Fourth season)
High Point Head Coach: Scott Cherry
Overall Record: 124-111 (8th Season)
Record at High Point: Same
Notes and Anecdotes – High Point
• In Liberty's three wins in the Big South, the Flames have led in each game for more than 30
minutes and by an average of 34 minutes and six seconds.
• In its four conference games (Gardner-Webb, Longwood, Winthrop and UNC Asheville) High point's opponents have a combined 11-5 record.
• Liberty is 2-0 on the road this year in the Big South winning by an average of 13.5 points.
• In the 61-54 win over Campbell, the Flames caught fire in the first half making a season high 10 consecutive field goals
• At the Millis Athletic and Convocation Center, High Point's head coach Scott Cherry is 3-5 against Liberty while Ritchie McKay is 2-1.
• While both teams rank near the bottom of scoring offense in the Big South (Liberty no. 9 at 66.9 ppg & high Point no. 8 at 67.1 ppg) Liberty ranks no. 1 in scoring defense (65.3 ppg) and the Panthers rank no. 4 (69.8)
Team Talking Points:
• Dating back to last season starting on Jan. 19, 2016 the Flames have posted a record of 11-4 in regular season games in the Big South with a winning percentage of .733
• The Flames made a season-high 10 consecutive field goals against Campbell
• Since receiving a DNP against Princeton, Lovell Cabbil has averaged 11 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists in the last seven games
• Lovell Cabbil scored a career high 21 points against Campbell after surpassing his season high (14) in the first half scoring 15 points
• After being inserted into the starting lineup in the past five games, Lovell Cabbil has averaged 13 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists
• Ryan Kemrite moved from 45th place on the all-time Liberty scoring to a tie for 46th place after reaching 600 career points and currently has 624 points
• For the first time this season and the first time since Dec. 3, 2015 at Radford, the Liberty bench was held scoreless after not contributing points against UNC Asheville
• On the season, the Flames currently rank seventh in the Big South and No. 194 in the country (out of 347 teams) in field goal shooting percentage (44.0 percent/381-of-865) moving up 37 spots from from Dec. 21
• On the season, the Flames are shooting 7.3 percent better during the second half (first half shooting percentage 41.5/157-of-378; second half shooting percentage 46.3/172-of-371)
• Liberty currently leads the Big South and ranks No. 38 in the country, averaging 9.4 three-point field goals per game (159-of-426/37.3 percent)
• Liberty currently ranks no. 89 in the country and fourth in the Big South in three-point field goal percentage (37.3 percent)
• Liberty will look to increase its bench production as they received just nine points (0 vs. UNC Asheville, 9 vs. Campbell) in its two game homestand.
• Liberty outscored PC & CSU' bench 51-37 in the Flames' first two conference games
• The Flames have shot better than 40 percent from three-point range in six of their seven wins (41.4 percent vs. Carin; 43.8 percent vs. UMass Lowell; 53.8 percent vs. Mississippi Valley State; 19.2 percent vs. Central Penn; 46.2 percent at Presbyterian; 53.6 at Charleston Southern)
• In its eight wins this season, Liberty has shot a combined 47.8 percent from the field (201-of-420)
• In its nine setbacks this year, Liberty has shot a combined 40.6 percent from the floor (181-of-445)
• The Flames have suffered nine setbacks this year with a combined record of 48-27 record (VCU 12-3/S.O.S - #42; Indiana 10-5/S.O.S - #180; William & Mary 7-6/S.O.S - #132; UNCG 11-5/S.O.S. - #228; Furman 9-6/S.O.S. - #321; Princeton 7-6/S.O.S. - #150; Lamar 9-5/S.O.S. - #347; Houston 12-3/S.O.S. - #171; UNC Asheville 11-6/S.O.S - #140)
• Liberty is 2-5 on the road this season and has not won a non-conference road game since defeating Western Carolina, 63-62, on Dec. 31, 2012
• Liberty has shot 70 percent or better from the free-throw line 10 times this year and currently ranks third in the Big South in free throw shooting percentage (71.5 percent/216-of-302)
• Liberty currently leads the Big South in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 66.0 points per game
• Liberty has forced 10 or more turnovers in 11 of 17 games this season and ranks fifth in the Big South in turnovers forced (13.8 per game)
