MBB Game Day: Middle Tennessee
1/3/2025 2:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game Day Coverage
- Liberty vs. Middle Tennessee (Liberty Arena)
- Tipoff: Saturday at 6:05 p.m. ET
- TV: CBS Sports Network
- Radio: LFSN Radio
- Live Stats
- Liberty (12-1, 0-1 CUSA) will host Middle Tennessee (10-4, 1-0 CUSA) in its second CUSA contest. The Flames and Blue Raiders split a pair of meetings last year, with both teams winning on their home floors.
- This will be the third all-time meeting between the two programs, with both meetings coming last year in what was Liberty's first season in Conference USA. The Flames earned a dominant 88-53 win over the Blue Raiders at Liberty Arena in the first meeting (Feb. 8, 2024). Liberty outscored MTSU 48-22 in the second half. Brody Peebles, making his first start of the year, scored 21 points. Zach Cleveland added 20 points, five rebounds, five assists and four rebounds, while Kyle Rode posted a double-double of 10 points and 12 boards to go along with six assists.
- In the second matchup, MTSU topped Liberty 69-61 at the Murphy Center. The Flames were paced by Zach Cleveland with 17 points. Kyle Rode posted another double-double of 12 points and a career-best 13 rebounds.
- Liberty was edged by Western Kentucky 71-70 on Thursday night in its CUSA opener. Meanwhile, MTSU earned a 73-69 road win at FIU to open league play.
- Zach Cleveland led the Flames with 18 points, nine boards and four assists versus WKU. Kaden Metheny added 17 points, and Owen Aquino totaled 12 points, 10 boards and six assists.
- The Flames are 68th in the NET rankings, while the Blue Raiders are 120th. Liberty is No. 64 in the KenPom rankings, and MTSU is No. 129.
The Flames lead the nation in effective field goal percentage (60.1). Liberty is also in the top 20 nationally in several categories: fewest fouls per game (No. 4, 12.2), scoring margin (No. 9, 21.5), scoring defense (No. 8, 59.1), field goal percentage (No. 11, 50.7), three-pointers per game (No. 12, 11.0), assists per game (No. 16, 18.1) and assist/turnover ratio (No. 18, 1.67). - Since the start of the 2018-19 season, Liberty has 161 wins, eighth most in the nation during that span.
- Cleveland and Metheny were both tabbed to the CUSA Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference team.
- The Flames' loss on Thursday night snapped a nine-game winning streak and seven-game winning streak at Liberty Arena that dated back to last season.
- Metheny ranks No. 11 in the nation in three-pointers per game (3.54) and 17th in total threes (46). He is second in Conference USA in both categories
- Colin Porter ranks 30th in the country and second in CUSA in assist/turnover ratio (3.10).
- The Flames are in their second year in Conference USA. Liberty was picked to finish tied for fifth in the preseason poll. Liberty was 7-9 in CUSA regular season games last season.
- This will be Liberty's 11th all-time game on this date. The Flames are 5-5 all-time on Jan. 4. Liberty last played on this date in 2022, a 75-59 road ASUN victory over Stetson. Darius McGhee and Shiloh Robinson scored 16 points apiece for the Flames, and Kyle Rode added 12. Liberty shot 58.5 percent (31-of-53) from the floor and held the Stetson Hatters to 37.3 percent (19-of-51) shooting.
- Liberty is ranked No. 3 in the College Insider Men's Mid-Major Top 25®, behind only No. 1 Drake and No. 2 Gonzaga. This is the second straight week the Flames have been in the No. 3 position. MTSU is receiving votes.
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