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Saturday, November 25
Lynchburg, Va.
1:00 PM ET
Liberty University
6-0,0-0CUSA
99
vs
62
Maryland Eastern Shore
2-4,0-0MEAC
1
2
F
UMES
23
39
62
Liberty
50
49
99
Liberty Stays Unbeaten With 99-62 Win Over UMES
11/25/2023 4:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty stayed unbeaten with a 99-62 home win over Maryland Eastern Shore, Saturday afternoon at Liberty Arena. The Flames improve to 6-0 with today's triumph.
UMES slips to 2-4 and has lost back-to-back games.
Kaden Metheny paced Liberty with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting, and Joseph Venzant (12 points, 11 rebounds) notched his first career double-double. Joining Metheny and Venzant in double figures were Brody Peebles (15 points), Zach Cleveland (10 points) and Shiloh Robinson (10 points).
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Kaden Metheny 20 points, 7-9 FG, 5-7 3FG; Brody Peebles 15 points, 6-9 FG; Joseph Venzant 12 points, 11 rebounds, 5-6 FG; Zach Cleveland 10 points, 5-6 FG, 6 rebounds, 4 assists; Shiloh Robinson 10 points, 5-5 FG; Kyle Rode 8 points, 8 assists; Colin Porter 8 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds
Maryland Eastern Shore Individuals: Kelechi Okworogwo 12 points, 8 rebounds, 5-9 FG; Devon Ellis 8 points
Key Team Stats: Liberty shot 65 percent (39-of-60) from the field, its best percentage since shooting 66 percent (35-of-53) in a 108-65 home triumph over Alcorn State on Dec. 22, 2020. Maryland Eastern Shore shot 41.8 percent (23-of-55) on the afternoon. Liberty connected on 15-of-31 three-pointers (48.4 percent) on the afternoon, with seven Flames knocked down at least one triple. The Flames tallied a season-high 25 assists on 39 made field goals, their most in a game since recording 27 assists last season against Mid-Atlantic Christian (Dec. 21, 2022). Liberty held edges in points in the paint (48-26), bench points (41-26), points off turnovers (12-7), second chance points (11-7) and fast break points (7-6). The Flames led for 39:24, and the Hawks never led. The game was tied for 36 seconds.
Thoughts From Head Coach Ritchie McKay
"Any time you assist the ball 25 times on 39 baskets, I think it's a great indicator of your selflessness. Defensively, we were pretty tough to play against, given all the different lineups that played together today. I'm really pleased with our group. I think it's easy in this day and age to have a little different approach to the game if you've gotten a little attention. Our guys didn't do that. They showed a great sense of maturity and appreciation for being out there and being back in front of our fans."
Turning Point
Liberty raced out to a 17-4 lead on UMES and never looked back. The Flames shot 65.6 percent (21-of-32) in the opening frame and closed the half on a 13-0 run over the final 3:33 to take a commanding 50-23 advantage into the locker room. During the closing stretch, Kaden Metheny hit a pair of three-pointer. Brody Peebles scored two baskets, and Colin Porter added a three. Peebles' driving layup with one second left in the stanza made it a 27-point lead at intermission.
UMES scored on its first three possessions of the second half, but Liberty pushed the lead over 30 for the first time, 59-29 at the 15:50 mark, following a layup from Joseph Venzant, a pair of baskets from Zach Cleveland and a free throw from Metheny.
Key Stats & Notes
The Flames will be back in action on Thursday evening at No. 19 Florida Atlantic (4-1) in the Field of 68 Media Network Tip-Off Event. Game time is 6 p.m. at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena in Boca Raton, Fla.
This will be the third meeting between the Flames and Owls but first since Dec. 20, 2002. Liberty topped FAU 84-79 in Lynchburg in that game. The all-time series is tied 1-1.
UMES slips to 2-4 and has lost back-to-back games.
Kaden Metheny paced Liberty with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting, and Joseph Venzant (12 points, 11 rebounds) notched his first career double-double. Joining Metheny and Venzant in double figures were Brody Peebles (15 points), Zach Cleveland (10 points) and Shiloh Robinson (10 points).
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Kaden Metheny 20 points, 7-9 FG, 5-7 3FG; Brody Peebles 15 points, 6-9 FG; Joseph Venzant 12 points, 11 rebounds, 5-6 FG; Zach Cleveland 10 points, 5-6 FG, 6 rebounds, 4 assists; Shiloh Robinson 10 points, 5-5 FG; Kyle Rode 8 points, 8 assists; Colin Porter 8 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds
Maryland Eastern Shore Individuals: Kelechi Okworogwo 12 points, 8 rebounds, 5-9 FG; Devon Ellis 8 points
Key Team Stats: Liberty shot 65 percent (39-of-60) from the field, its best percentage since shooting 66 percent (35-of-53) in a 108-65 home triumph over Alcorn State on Dec. 22, 2020. Maryland Eastern Shore shot 41.8 percent (23-of-55) on the afternoon. Liberty connected on 15-of-31 three-pointers (48.4 percent) on the afternoon, with seven Flames knocked down at least one triple. The Flames tallied a season-high 25 assists on 39 made field goals, their most in a game since recording 27 assists last season against Mid-Atlantic Christian (Dec. 21, 2022). Liberty held edges in points in the paint (48-26), bench points (41-26), points off turnovers (12-7), second chance points (11-7) and fast break points (7-6). The Flames led for 39:24, and the Hawks never led. The game was tied for 36 seconds.
Thoughts From Head Coach Ritchie McKay
"Any time you assist the ball 25 times on 39 baskets, I think it's a great indicator of your selflessness. Defensively, we were pretty tough to play against, given all the different lineups that played together today. I'm really pleased with our group. I think it's easy in this day and age to have a little different approach to the game if you've gotten a little attention. Our guys didn't do that. They showed a great sense of maturity and appreciation for being out there and being back in front of our fans."
Turning Point
Liberty raced out to a 17-4 lead on UMES and never looked back. The Flames shot 65.6 percent (21-of-32) in the opening frame and closed the half on a 13-0 run over the final 3:33 to take a commanding 50-23 advantage into the locker room. During the closing stretch, Kaden Metheny hit a pair of three-pointer. Brody Peebles scored two baskets, and Colin Porter added a three. Peebles' driving layup with one second left in the stanza made it a 27-point lead at intermission.
UMES scored on its first three possessions of the second half, but Liberty pushed the lead over 30 for the first time, 59-29 at the 15:50 mark, following a layup from Joseph Venzant, a pair of baskets from Zach Cleveland and a free throw from Metheny.
Key Stats & Notes
- The Flames are 6-0 to start the season for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign. Liberty started that season by winning its first 14 contests.
- Kaden Metheny recorded his first 20-point game as a Flame and sixth such effort of his career. The redshirt junior guard scored 16 of his 20 points in the first half.
- Liberty's 99 points today are its most against a Division I foe since scoring 100 points in a 100-93 overtime victory over Kennesaw State on Feb. 26, 2022.
- Liberty's 37-point win was its largest ever over UMES.
- The Flames improve to 7-0 all-time against the Hawks. All seven wins have been by double figures.
- Kyle Rode notched a game-high and season-best eight assists today. The fifth-year senior's second assist of the game made him the seventh player in program history with 400 career assists. Rode has 405 career assists.
- Liberty has shot 50 percent or better in five of its six games this season.
- This is the second straight year Liberty has held a lead of 25-plus points at the half against UMES. The Flames led the Hawks 50-23 at the break today and 47-22 at the break a season ago. Liberty topped UMES 79-59 last year.
- Redshirt freshman Ben Southerland connected on his first two collegiate field goals today. Both makes were three-pointers, coming in a span of exactly one minute midway through the second half (10:42 and 9:42 marks).
- The Flames are one of 12 teams in the nation with a 6-0 record. Houston is the only 7-0 team at present.
- Liberty committed a season-low seven turnovers today.
- This was the Flames' 20th all-time game on Nov. 25. Liberty has won three of its last four contests on this date.
The Flames will be back in action on Thursday evening at No. 19 Florida Atlantic (4-1) in the Field of 68 Media Network Tip-Off Event. Game time is 6 p.m. at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena in Boca Raton, Fla.
This will be the third meeting between the Flames and Owls but first since Dec. 20, 2002. Liberty topped FAU 84-79 in Lynchburg in that game. The all-time series is tied 1-1.
Team Stats
UMES
Lib
FG%
.418
.650
3FG%
.385
.484
FT%
.846
.667
RB
19
37
TO
8
7
STL
4
3
Game Leaders
Pts
20
FGM
7
3FGM
5
FTM
1
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
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