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Liberty University
17-5,8-1ASUN
Stetson
11-9,6-3ASUN
Liberty Dominates Inside, Bests Stetson 74-45 for 5th ASUN Win in Row
1/26/2023 10:15:12 PM | Men's Basketball
Head Coach Ritchie McKay Press Conference
Brody Peebles and Darius McGhee Press Conference
Liberty dominated Stetson in the paint and bested the Hatters 74-45 on Thursday evening for their fifth ASUN win in a row.
The Flames improve to 17-5 on the year and keep pace at the top of the ASUN standings at 8-1. Liberty owned a 46-22 edge in points in the paint and featured five players in double figures. The Flames’ defense held Stetson to season lows in points (45) and three-point field goals (3) while the Hatters’ offense almost 32 points below its season scoring average (76.8 ppg) coming in. Stetson, who came into the night tied for third in the league at 6-2, falls to 11-9 overall and 6-3 in the ASUN.
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Darius McGhee 15 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds; Kyle Rode 14 points, 4 assists; Shiloh Robinson 13 points, 4-4 FT, 8 rebounds; Brody Peebles 13 points, 3-4 3FG, 3 rebounds; Blake Preston 4 points, 9 rebounds
Stetson Individuals: Jalen Blackmon 11 points; Sam Peek 8 points, 4-7 FG, 7 rebounds
Key Team Stats: Liberty shot 50.8 percent (30-of-59) from the field. The Flames shot 75 percent (24-of-32) from two-point territory. Stetson finished the night at 38.8 percent (19-of-49) and committed 13 turnovers. The Flames outrebounded the Hatters 38-25. Stetson, who averaged nearly 11 offensive rebounds per game on the year, grabbed only six offensive boards tonight.
Thoughts From Head Coach Ritchie McKay
“I’m happy with the win. I’m very grateful. I have a ton of respect for Stetson. We’ve played Stetson the last five years, and they’re always a tough out. I’m pleased with the effort. It’s nice to see a balanced attack. This is a mature group, and we try to take what the defense gives us.”
Turning Point
Trailing 14-12 early in the opening half, the Flames used a 15-4 run to built a double-digit lead (27-16) with 6:00 to play. Brody Peebles hit back-to-back threes to punctuate that run. Liberty held Stetson to 31 total points over the final 27:50 of the contest. The Flames led 36-22 at the break behind a balanced scoring attack which saw five players score six or more points in the opening frame.
The Hatters hit their first three shots of the second half and got within 13, 42-29, with 17:31 remaining. However, Liberty’s defense held firm, allowing only 16 points the rest of the way for Stetson on 7-of-23 shooting (30.4 percent). A 13-0 Flames run from the 9:23 mark to the 5:11 mark took an 18-point lead and made it 31, 71-40. Shiloh Robinson scored 11 of his 13 points during that spurt, capped off by a dunk at the 5:11 mark.
Key Stats & Notes
• The five Flames in double figures tonight were Darius McGhee (game-high 15 points), Kyle Rode (14 points), Shiloh Robinson (13 points), Shiloh Robinson (13 points) and Colin Porter (11 points).
• McGhee’s 15 points gives him 2,323 career points. The redshirt senior guard is 50 points away from tying Karl Hess’ school record for career points 2,373.
• Robinson had 13 points and eight boards in only 19:34 of action. The senior is averaging 14.5 ppg and 9.0 rpg over his last two contests.
• Tonight’s 29-point margin of victory is Liberty’s largest ever against Stetson.
• Blake Preston grabbed nine boards, tied for his second highest output of the season. The redshirt senior also contributed four points and three assists.
• This is the sixth opponent the Flames have held under 50 points this season.
• Liberty improves to 9-3 all-time against Stetson, 9-2 against the Hatters since joining the league and 5-0 versus Stetson at home.
• The Flames bolster their record at home to 12-1 on the year and 38-4 all-time. Liberty is outscoring its opponents by an average of 28 points per game (81.4 ppg-51.4 ppg) on its home court this season while shooting 50.5 percent from the field.
• Liberty (8-1) and Kennesaw State (8-1) are tied atop the ASUN standings.
Up Next
The Flames will play another home ASUN game this weekend, taking on the FGCU Eagles (14-8, 4-5 ASUN) on Saturday evening. Tip time is 7 p.m. at Liberty Arena, and the contest can also be seen on ESPN+.
Liberty is 5-1 all-time versus FGCU. The Eagles edged the Flames 82-72 in overtime in the most recent meeting a season ago (Feb. 23, 2022) at Liberty Arena. The two teams split last year’s season series, with the Flames prevailing 78-75 on FGCU’s home court by a 78-75 score. In that game, Darius McGhee set the program’s single-game scoring record with a career-high 48 points.
Main Photo at Top of Story: No. 1 Brody Peebles
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