.png&width=100&height=100&type=webp)
Sunday, November 19
Conway, S.C.
5:30 PM ET
Liberty University
5-0,0-0CUSA
71
vs
61
Vermont
4-1,0-0America East
1
2
F
Vermont
33
28
61
Liberty
35
36
71
Photo by: Copyright (c) 2023 Lara Zuk
Flames Down Catamounts 71-61 to Win Myrtle Beach Invitational Title
11/19/2023 9:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball
CONWAY, S.C. – The Liberty Flames downed the Vermont Catamounts 71-61 to capture the 2023 Myrtle Beach Invitational Title, Sunday night at the HTC Center.
Liberty finishes the weekend with a 3-0 record after victories over Vermont (title game), Wichita State (semifinals) and Furman (quarterfinals) in a span of four days. The Flames improve to 5-0 on the year.
Fifth-year senior forward Kyle Rode was tabbed the Myrtle Beach Invitational MVP and was joined on the All-Tournament team by junior guard Brody Peebles. Rode averaged 19.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.0 apg and 2.0 spg while connecting on 45.5 percent (10-of-22) of his three-point attempts in the tournament. Sophomore forward Zach Cleveland totaled a career-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting and added nine rebounds in the championship game.
Meanwhile, Vermont falls to 4-1 after taking its first loss of the 2023-24 campaign.
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Zach Cleveland 21 points, 9-12 FG, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals; Brody Peebles 13 points, 5-8 FG, 3-5 3FG; Kaden Metheny 13 points, 3-6 3FG, 7 assists; Colin Porter 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists; Kyle Rode 8 points, 8 rebounds
Vermont Individuals: Shamir Bogues 16 points, 9 rebounds; Aaron Deloney 13 points; TJ Hurley 11 points, 5-8 FG; TJ Long 10 points
Key Team Stats: Liberty shot exactly 50 percent (27-of-54) from the floor and held a 36-26 edge in points in the paint. The Flames limited the Catamounts to 34.5 percent shooting (10-of-29) in the second half and 42.4 percent (25-of-59) for the game. The Flames were an efficient 44.4 percent (8-of-18) from three-point territory and held the Catamounts to 28.6 percent shooting (8-of-28) from deep. Liberty assisted on 15 of 27 made baskets, while Vermont notched eight assists on 25 field goals. The Flames committed 11 turnovers to Vermont's eight. However, Liberty only committed four miscues over the final 23:53. Liberty outrebounded Vermont 37-30.
Thoughts From Head Coach Ritchie McKay
"I'm really proud of our group. That's a great win. I have a ton of admiration for (Vermont Head Coach) John Becker and the Catamounts. They've got a heck of a program, so that's a really quality win for our group. The best thing about it was there was a lot of adversity during the game that we had to experience, and we had to respond the right way. I thought we did so."
Turning Point
After the Catamounts' Sam Alamutu knocked down his second three of the game to cut the Liberty lead to one, 61-60, with 4:05 left, the Flames outscored Vermont 10-1 over the final 4:05 to secure the championship crown. Liberty held Vermont without a field goal in the final 4:05, and the Catamounts made only 1-of-4 free throws down the stretch.
Kaden Metheny made a stepback three-pointer with 2:41 remaining to extend the Flames' lead to 64-60. After the two teams traded single free throw makes, Metheny delivered again with a driving layup late in the shot clock to put the Flames up six, 67-61, with 28.3 seconds remaining. Sophomore Colin Porter knocked down 4-of-4 free throws in the closing 15 seconds to put the finishing touches on the victory.
Key Stats & Notes
Liberty (5-0) will return to action this upcoming Saturday at home against Maryland Eastern Shore (3-2). Tip time is 1 p.m. at Liberty Arena.
The Flames are 6-0 all-time against the Hawks. Liberty bested UMES 79-59 last season (Dec. 3, 2022).
Liberty finishes the weekend with a 3-0 record after victories over Vermont (title game), Wichita State (semifinals) and Furman (quarterfinals) in a span of four days. The Flames improve to 5-0 on the year.
Fifth-year senior forward Kyle Rode was tabbed the Myrtle Beach Invitational MVP and was joined on the All-Tournament team by junior guard Brody Peebles. Rode averaged 19.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.0 apg and 2.0 spg while connecting on 45.5 percent (10-of-22) of his three-point attempts in the tournament. Sophomore forward Zach Cleveland totaled a career-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting and added nine rebounds in the championship game.
Meanwhile, Vermont falls to 4-1 after taking its first loss of the 2023-24 campaign.
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Zach Cleveland 21 points, 9-12 FG, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals; Brody Peebles 13 points, 5-8 FG, 3-5 3FG; Kaden Metheny 13 points, 3-6 3FG, 7 assists; Colin Porter 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists; Kyle Rode 8 points, 8 rebounds
Vermont Individuals: Shamir Bogues 16 points, 9 rebounds; Aaron Deloney 13 points; TJ Hurley 11 points, 5-8 FG; TJ Long 10 points
Key Team Stats: Liberty shot exactly 50 percent (27-of-54) from the floor and held a 36-26 edge in points in the paint. The Flames limited the Catamounts to 34.5 percent shooting (10-of-29) in the second half and 42.4 percent (25-of-59) for the game. The Flames were an efficient 44.4 percent (8-of-18) from three-point territory and held the Catamounts to 28.6 percent shooting (8-of-28) from deep. Liberty assisted on 15 of 27 made baskets, while Vermont notched eight assists on 25 field goals. The Flames committed 11 turnovers to Vermont's eight. However, Liberty only committed four miscues over the final 23:53. Liberty outrebounded Vermont 37-30.
Thoughts From Head Coach Ritchie McKay
"I'm really proud of our group. That's a great win. I have a ton of admiration for (Vermont Head Coach) John Becker and the Catamounts. They've got a heck of a program, so that's a really quality win for our group. The best thing about it was there was a lot of adversity during the game that we had to experience, and we had to respond the right way. I thought we did so."
Turning Point
After the Catamounts' Sam Alamutu knocked down his second three of the game to cut the Liberty lead to one, 61-60, with 4:05 left, the Flames outscored Vermont 10-1 over the final 4:05 to secure the championship crown. Liberty held Vermont without a field goal in the final 4:05, and the Catamounts made only 1-of-4 free throws down the stretch.
Kaden Metheny made a stepback three-pointer with 2:41 remaining to extend the Flames' lead to 64-60. After the two teams traded single free throw makes, Metheny delivered again with a driving layup late in the shot clock to put the Flames up six, 67-61, with 28.3 seconds remaining. Sophomore Colin Porter knocked down 4-of-4 free throws in the closing 15 seconds to put the finishing touches on the victory.
Key Stats & Notes
- This is Liberty's first in-season tournament title since winning the DC Holiday Hoops Fest on Dec. 21, 2019. The Flames defeated Akron 80-67 in that championship game.
- In addition to Kyle Rode being the Myrtle Beach Invitational John T. Rhodes Most Valuable Player and an All-Tournament team selection, Brody Peebles was tabbed to the All-Tournament team. The Hartselle, Ala. native averaged 13.3 ppg and shot 58.6 percent (17-of-29) from the field and 42.9 percent (6-of-14) from three-point territory. Peebles scored 13 bench off the bench tonight on 5-of-8 shooting.
- Zach Cleveland's 21 points tonight are a new career high, and he fell one rebound shy (nine boards) of his first career double-double. The sophomore's previous career high was 13 points in the season opener against Mid-Atlantic Christian.
- Kaden Metheny matched a career high with seven assists tonight. Metheny also poured in 13 points and connected on 3-of-6 attempts from three-point land. The redshirt junior averaged 13.3 ppg and 4.3 apg in three tournament contests.
- Today's meeting was the first-ever between Liberty and Vermont in men's basketball.
- The Flames won all three games at the Myrtle Beach Invitational by double digits and have won all five contests this season by double figures. Liberty's average margin of victory this weekend was 13.7 points (80.7 ppg-67.0 ppg) against a strong field.
- Liberty is 5-0 for the first time since the 2019-20 season. That year, the Flames won their first 14 games on the way to a school-record 30 wins.
- Shiloh Robinson was a game-best +16 for the Flames despite only seeing 12:53 of action. The fifth-year senior forward finished with six boards and three rebounds.
- The Flames trailed 16-6 with 11:35 left in the first half, the first time this season they had trailed by double digits.
Liberty (5-0) will return to action this upcoming Saturday at home against Maryland Eastern Shore (3-2). Tip time is 1 p.m. at Liberty Arena.
The Flames are 6-0 all-time against the Hawks. Liberty bested UMES 79-59 last season (Dec. 3, 2022).
Team Stats
UVM
Lib
FG%
.424
.500
3FG%
.286
.444
FT%
.429
.750
RB
30
37
TO
8
11
STL
5
4
Game Leaders
Pts
21
FGM
9
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
Step Into My Office with Ritchie McKay
Tuesday, September 30
Kaden Metheny & Zach Cleveland Talk About The Upcoming Season
Tuesday, September 23
Jesse Sanders: Faith in the Fight
Thursday, May 01
Coach McKay, Kaden Metheny & Zach Cleveland Talk About The Game Against Oregon
Saturday, March 22