Liberty University
24-6
Kennesaw State
5-25
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kennesaw St. | 29 | 30 | 59 |
| Liberty | 33 | 43 | 76 |
Liberty Wins School-Record 24th Game on Senior Night
2/26/2019 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Liberty made history on Senior Night, picking up its 24th win of the season, which is the most in school history during Liberty's DI era as they defeated Kennesaw State 76-59 at the Vines Center. With the victory over the Owls (5-25, 2-13 ASUN) the Flames (24-6, 13-2) remain tied with Lipscomb for the top spot in the ASUN Conference.
Turning Point
After a close first half where Liberty only led by four points (33-29), the Flames kicked it up a notch to start the second half, going on a 14-3 run in the first five minutes of the half. Liberty was effective from three-point range all night, shooting 47 percent from three and led by Elijah Cuffee with four makes from beyond the arc. While the Flames got into a groove on offense, their defense also ramped up, limiting Kennesaw State to 37 percent from the floor in the second half.
Key Stats & Notes
- Liberty sets the school record for most DI wins in a single season with 24 victories.
- Lovell Cabbil Jr. set the school record with 80 wins during the past four seasons becoming a part of the winningest senior class.
- Cabbil recorded six assists, which tied his season high.
- Caleb Homesley became the 27th player in school history to score 1,000 career points as he finished the night with 15 points, nine rebounds, three assists and a block.
- Elijah Cuffee had his seventh double-digit scoring game this season with a team-high 16 points to go along with three rebounds and two assists.
- For the first time this season, all five Liberty starters scored double-figures in a game.
- Liberty outscored Kennesaw State 38-26 inside the paint.
- Liberty recorded 12 assists off 28 made field goals while committing just five turnovers.
Thoughts from Coach McKay
"We were much more like ourselves in the second half. We had a little bit of residue from a disappointing loss (at North Florida) where we held a 13-point lead with eight minutes to go. I can tell you that myself, our players, anyone that is in our family felt like we disappointed Flames Nation. Then I talked to Dick Bennett and he said ‘If you coach long enough, you're going to have some more of those' and I have done it 30 years so I know the burden of that responsibility. I think we did do what it takes to win for about 28 minutes tonight and hopefully we can continue to get back to that."
Up Next
The Flames will conclude the regular season on the road on Friday when they travel to face NJIT. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+.
