Liberty University
25-6, 14-2ASUN
NJIT
20-11, 8-8ASUN
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 24 | 33 | 57 |
| NJIT | 22 | 29 | 51 |
Liberty Captures Share of ASUN Regular Season Title
3/1/2019 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
To come away with Liberty's third regular season title in program history, Liberty men's basketball would have to dig deep and pull out a gutsy road win to end the regular season at NJIT, Friday night. In order to pull out the win, Liberty went back to its roots, holding NJIT to a season-low 51 points to defeat the Highlanders 57-51.
With the win, Liberty improves to a school Division I record 25-6 and claims a share of the ASUN Conference regular season title. Liberty shared the title with Lipscomb, as both teams ended the regular season 14-2 in conference. Lipscomb secured the No. 1 seed in next week's ASUN Men's Basketball Championship by virtue of the conference's tiebreaker policy, while Liberty will the No. 2 seed during its inaugural run in the conference tournament.
Turning Point
On a night where Liberty's offense was not clicking on all cylinders, its defense came up big, forcing the Highlanders to shoot 36 percent for the game (18-50). Abdul Lewis was the focal point of NJIT's offense, scoring half of NJIT's points (25 points) but the rest of the Highlanders managed to make just nine field goals throughout the game. The Highlanders came close to tying the game with 5:14 left, pulling within two points, 48-46, but Liberty responded by scoring nine of the game's final 14 points to clinch the win.
Key Stats & Notes
• Liberty improves its school record to 25 wins in a single season, the most during Liberty's Division I era.
• For the first time in school history, Liberty has now won 10 true road games.
• Liberty became the ninth team in the country to reach 10 road wins.
• Scottie James recorded his 21st career double-double and 10th of the season with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
• Liberty had two players score in double figures, as Lovell Cabbil Jr. (15) and Scottie James (19) combined for 34 points.
• Fifty-one points is the fewest points NJIT has scored in a game this season.
• Twenty-two points was the second lowest point total NJIT has scored in a half this season (scored 20 in the first half on Jan. 16 vs. Lipscomb).
• NJIT made only two three-pointers throughout the game, holding its leading scorer, Zach Cooks, to five points and just 2-12 from the field.
• For the second time in school history, Liberty finished the regular season without losing back-to-back games.
Thoughts from Coach McKay
"First of all, I am really proud of that group of young men in the locker room. We (coaching staff) have been blessed to lead them and that was huge, the way we had to do it tonight. To come on the road against a really good NJIT team and battle some adversity and foul trouble, I am just proud of them. Credit goes to a lot of people, including our players and our coaches. The credit also goes to Flames Nation. We were 14-1 at home and had our second largest average attendance within the last eight years. I love the direction we are headed and excited that we are co-champs, but obviously we have a lot more to play for."
Up Next
The Flames will now turn their attention to tournament play as they host a quarterfinal matchup on Monday, March 7, against No. 7 seed Jacksonville. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Vines Center and can be seen on ESPN+. General admission tickets are on sale for $10, while premium seats are $15. Tickets can be purchased online or at the Flames Ticket Office. Flames Club members will be the only fans that have access to the Club seats ($20).
