Liberty University
19-2,5-1ASUN
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North Florida
12-9,5-1ASUN
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 31 | 39 | 70 |
| North Florida | 32 | 39 | 71 |
Liberty's Comeback Falls Short at North Florida
1/23/2020 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Liberty dropped its first ASUN contest of the season, falling 71-70 on the road to North Florida. The Flames drop to 19-2 overall and are now tied for first place with North Florida (12-9) at 5-1 in conference.
Turning Point
For the first time in conference play, Liberty trailed at halftime (32-31) as North Florida was led by Ivan Gandia-Rosa's 14 points. Darius McGhee led the charge on offense for the Flames in the first half with 13 points, shooting 5-8 from the field. Liberty was efficient in the paint on offense, outscoring the Ospreys 22-12 inside the paint in the first half.
Liberty and North Florida went back-and-forth in the second half with 11 lead changes in the first nine minutes of the second half. North Florida took the lead and jumped out to a 67-58 lead with four and a half minutes left in the game, holding Liberty scoreless for over five and a half minutes midway through the half. With just over three minutes left in the game, North Florida led 70-60, and Liberty came all the way back to tie the game at 70-70. With one second left in the game, UNF's Garrett Sams made a free throw to come away with the victory.
Key Stats & Notes
- This is Liberty's first loss when outshooting its opponent from the field.
- Liberty shot 50 percent from the field (28-56) while North Florida shot 48 percent (28-52).
- Liberty had four players score in double figures, led by Darius McGhee with 19 points.
- McGhee tied his career high in points with 19 on Thursday night.
- Scottie James' 10 points moved him up to No. 21 all-time on Liberty's scoring list with 1,174 career points, passing Antwan Burrus.
- Liberty outscored North Florida 38-28 inside the paint.
- North Florida made 10 three-pointers while holding Liberty to four.
- All five of North Florida's starters scored in double figures led by Ivan Gandia-Rosa's 19 points.
Thoughts from Head Coach Ritchie McKay
"I felt like North Florida deserved to win. I feel like they played harder, and when you live on top of the standings, you're going to get the team's best shot and we certainly did tonight. I think there was some good things we did to finish the game, and I thought our guys were resilient."
Up Next
Liberty will close out its road trip on Saturday at Stetson. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+.
