Liberty University
11-0,0-0ASUN
Grand Canyon
4-7,0-0WAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 32 | 38 | 70 |
| Grand Canyon | 28 | 33 | 61 |
Liberty Defeats GCU in Jerry Colangelo Classic
12/8/2019 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Liberty's historic start to its season continued Sunday at the Talking Stick Resort Arena as the Flames defeated Grand Canyon 71-60 in the Naismith Hall of Fame Jerry Colangelo Classic. Myo Baxter-Bell was named the Most Valuable Player for the game. With the victory, Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay earned his 300th career win and became Liberty's winningest Division I coach with 135 victories.
Turning Point
Liberty and GCU went back-and-forth all throughout the first half and early in the second same, exchanging the lead. At the 9:55-mark of the second half, Liberty's defense was exceptional not allowing the Lopes to scores for six minutes, as the Flames went on a 15-0 run. Liberty's run midway through the second half would give the Flames a 63-51 lead and from then on, Liberty was able to convert enough free throws to come away with the victory.
Key Stats & Notes
- Liberty is 11-0 for the first time in school history.
- Myo Baxter-Bell was named MVP after recording 15 points, five rebounds and a steal.
- 135 wins at Liberty for coach McKay passes Jeff Meyer.
- Liberty forced 11 turnovers, which led to 16 points for the Flames.
- Liberty held GCU to just five made three-pointers for the game.
- Liberty had four players score double figures led by Caleb Homesley's 17 points.
- Elijah Cuffee scored 11 points to go along with three rebounds and a team-high four assists.
- After tonight's game, Liberty has only trailed 20 minutes and 21 seconds of the 440 minutes played.
- Liberty and GCU had seven lead changes and the game was tied 10 times.
- Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz moved to No. 27 on Liberty's all-time scoring list with 1,019 career points, passing Mike Goad.
Thoughts from Head Coach Ritchie McKay
"We are really privileged to be a part of any event that has Mr. Colangelo's name on it. I really feel like this is a first-class event; the Hall of Fame group is absolutely phenomenal and GCU is a terrific program, so it was a privilege for us to be able to compete and come out with a victory. I am sure it will help us down the road."
Up Next
Liberty will continue its roadtrip next week when they travel to face Vanderbilt. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET and can be seen on the ESPN SEC Network+.
