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Saturday, January 4
Lynchburg, Va.
6:00 PM ET
Liberty University
13-2,1-1CUSA
73
vs
63
Middle Tennessee
10-5,1-1CUSA
1
2
F
Middle Tenn.
25
38
63
Liberty
42
31
73
Taelon Peter was a game-best +16 for the Flames.
Liberty Tops MTSU 73-63 For 1st CUSA Win
1/4/2025 9:32:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty topped Middle Tennessee 73-63 to pick up its first Conference USA win of the 2024-25 season.
The Flames improve to 13-2 on the year and 1-1 in CUSA action following the win at Liberty Arena. Liberty split a pair of league games on the opening weekend of conference play. MTSU drops to 10-5 overall and 1-1 in league competition.
Liberty led by as many as 19 points and was ahead by double digits for much of the night. The Flames secured the victory behind a balanced attack, scored by a game-high 19 points from guard Kaden Metheny. Colin Porter contributed 16 points, five assists and three steals, while Zach Cleveland filled the stat sheet with 11 points, eight boards and six assists. Jayvon Maughmer also reached double figures with 10 points, and Owen Aquino contributed nine points and 13 rebounds.
The Liberty defense also had a strong showing, holding MTSU to a season-low 37.9 percent (25-of-66) from the floor. The Flames held MTSU leading scorer Jestin Porter (14.9 ppg coming in) scoreless on the night on 0-of-9 shooting.
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Kaden Metheny 19 points, 8-15 FG, 4 rebounds; Colin Porter 16 points, 5-10 FG, 5 assists; 3 steals; Zach Cleveland 11 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists; Jayvon Maughmer 10 points, 4 rebounds; Owen Aquino 9 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals;
Middle Tennessee Individuals: Camryn Weston 16 points, 7-14 FG; Essam Mostafa 14 points, 16 rebounds, 7-13 FG, 2 steals; Justin Bufford 13 points, 5-9 FG, 4 rebounds; Jlynn Counter 12 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
Key Team Stats: Liberty shot 43.8 percent (28-of-64) for the game, including a 55.2 percent mark (16-of-29) in the first half. The Flames held the Blue Raiders to 37.9 percent shooting (25-of-66) on the night, and Middle Tennessee shot only 20 percent (3-of-15) from three-point territory. Liberty connected on 38.5 percent (10-of-26) of its triples, led by three apiece from Colin Porter and Kaden Metheny. MTSU won the rebounding battle 43-39, but the Flames held a 16-10 edge in assists. Both teams committed 10 turnovers, leading to 12 points for each squad. The Blue Raiders held advantages in points in the paint (38-32), second chance points (14-8), fast break points (9-5) and bench points (20-5). Liberty led for 32:47 of the 40 minutes, and MTSU led for only 2:32. The game was tied for 4:41.
Turning Point
Trailing 10-7 in the early going, Liberty went on a 14-2 run in a span of only 3:19 midway through the first half to take a 21-12 advantage. The Flames never trailed the rest of the way and led by as many as 19, 42-23, with 45 seconds to go in the opening half. Liberty connected on 16-of-29 shots (55.2 percent) in the opening 20 minutes, including a 46.2 percent mark (6-of-13 from three-point range. Colin Porter led all scorers with 11 points in the first half on 3-of-4 shooting, including a 2-of-2 mark from the three-point line and 3-of-3 mark from the free throw line.
Middle Tennessee crept back within 11, 51-40, with 11:40 remaining, but the Flames scored 10 of the next 15 points to regain control and a 61-45 lead with 8:19 on the clock. A pair of Owen Aquino dunks and a Kaden Metheny triple capped off that stretch. MTSU cut the Liberty lead to eight, 71-63, with 15 seconds left following an 8-0 late run. Zach Cleveland connected on a pair of free throws to settle the final outcome at 73-63.
Key Stats & Notes
Liberty will head on the road for a pair of Conference USA road games. The Flames will be back in action on Thursday evening at Sam Houston (7-7, 0-1 CUSA). Tip time is 9 p.m. Eastern from Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, Texas.
Liberty will then head to Ruston, La. to face CUSA preseason favorite Louisiana Tech (11-4, 0-2 CUSA), Saturday night. Game time is 8 p.m. from Thomas Assembly Center.
The Flames split the season series with both Sam Houston and Louisiana Tech a season ago, with the home team prevailing in all four of those games.
The Flames improve to 13-2 on the year and 1-1 in CUSA action following the win at Liberty Arena. Liberty split a pair of league games on the opening weekend of conference play. MTSU drops to 10-5 overall and 1-1 in league competition.
Liberty led by as many as 19 points and was ahead by double digits for much of the night. The Flames secured the victory behind a balanced attack, scored by a game-high 19 points from guard Kaden Metheny. Colin Porter contributed 16 points, five assists and three steals, while Zach Cleveland filled the stat sheet with 11 points, eight boards and six assists. Jayvon Maughmer also reached double figures with 10 points, and Owen Aquino contributed nine points and 13 rebounds.
The Liberty defense also had a strong showing, holding MTSU to a season-low 37.9 percent (25-of-66) from the floor. The Flames held MTSU leading scorer Jestin Porter (14.9 ppg coming in) scoreless on the night on 0-of-9 shooting.
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Kaden Metheny 19 points, 8-15 FG, 4 rebounds; Colin Porter 16 points, 5-10 FG, 5 assists; 3 steals; Zach Cleveland 11 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists; Jayvon Maughmer 10 points, 4 rebounds; Owen Aquino 9 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals;
Middle Tennessee Individuals: Camryn Weston 16 points, 7-14 FG; Essam Mostafa 14 points, 16 rebounds, 7-13 FG, 2 steals; Justin Bufford 13 points, 5-9 FG, 4 rebounds; Jlynn Counter 12 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
Key Team Stats: Liberty shot 43.8 percent (28-of-64) for the game, including a 55.2 percent mark (16-of-29) in the first half. The Flames held the Blue Raiders to 37.9 percent shooting (25-of-66) on the night, and Middle Tennessee shot only 20 percent (3-of-15) from three-point territory. Liberty connected on 38.5 percent (10-of-26) of its triples, led by three apiece from Colin Porter and Kaden Metheny. MTSU won the rebounding battle 43-39, but the Flames held a 16-10 edge in assists. Both teams committed 10 turnovers, leading to 12 points for each squad. The Blue Raiders held advantages in points in the paint (38-32), second chance points (14-8), fast break points (9-5) and bench points (20-5). Liberty led for 32:47 of the 40 minutes, and MTSU led for only 2:32. The game was tied for 4:41.
Turning Point
Trailing 10-7 in the early going, Liberty went on a 14-2 run in a span of only 3:19 midway through the first half to take a 21-12 advantage. The Flames never trailed the rest of the way and led by as many as 19, 42-23, with 45 seconds to go in the opening half. Liberty connected on 16-of-29 shots (55.2 percent) in the opening 20 minutes, including a 46.2 percent mark (6-of-13 from three-point range. Colin Porter led all scorers with 11 points in the first half on 3-of-4 shooting, including a 2-of-2 mark from the three-point line and 3-of-3 mark from the free throw line.
Middle Tennessee crept back within 11, 51-40, with 11:40 remaining, but the Flames scored 10 of the next 15 points to regain control and a 61-45 lead with 8:19 on the clock. A pair of Owen Aquino dunks and a Kaden Metheny triple capped off that stretch. MTSU cut the Liberty lead to eight, 71-63, with 15 seconds left following an 8-0 late run. Zach Cleveland connected on a pair of free throws to settle the final outcome at 73-63.
Key Stats & Notes
- Owen Aquino's 13 rebounds are the most by a Flame ever at Liberty Arena. Aquino averaged 10.5 points and 11.5 boards in this weekend's two CUSA matchups. Meanwhile, the Blue Raiders' Essam Mostafa set a new Liberty Arena record with 16 rebounds tonight.
- Aquino grabbed a season-high six offensive rebounds and had seven defensive boards.
- Colin Porter's 16 points are tied for his second most in a game this year and are the most since also scoring 16 points in a 62-58 win over McNeese in the Paradise Jam title game.
- Liberty runs its home record to 7-1 on the year. MTSU (3-3) suffers its third road loss.
- Kaden Metheny scored 19 points, his fifth game of 19-plus points this season. The Morgantown, W.Va. native has led the Flames in scoring seven times this year and is averaging 18.8 ppg over his last four contests.
- Zach Cleveland (11 points, eight rebounds and six assists) notched his sixth game of the season 10 or more points, five or more boards and five or more assists. The junior forward has done so in exactly half of his appearances (12).
- The Flames bolster their record to 11-0 this year in games in which they have outshot their opponent.
- Liberty improves to 2-1 all-time against MTSU, including a 2-0 home record against the Blue Raiders. The Flames have bested the Blue Raiders by double digits in both matchups at Liberty Arena. Last year, Liberty knocked off MTSU 88-53.
- Taelon Peter provided a spark off the bench, as the redshirt senior was a game-best +16 despite only 16:06 of action. Peter tallied eight points, three boards, two assists and a steal.
Liberty will head on the road for a pair of Conference USA road games. The Flames will be back in action on Thursday evening at Sam Houston (7-7, 0-1 CUSA). Tip time is 9 p.m. Eastern from Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, Texas.
Liberty will then head to Ruston, La. to face CUSA preseason favorite Louisiana Tech (11-4, 0-2 CUSA), Saturday night. Game time is 8 p.m. from Thomas Assembly Center.
The Flames split the season series with both Sam Houston and Louisiana Tech a season ago, with the home team prevailing in all four of those games.
Team Stats
MTSU
Lib
FG%
.379
.438
3FG%
.261
.385
FT%
.636
.700
RB
43
39
TO
10
10
STL
6
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
19
FGM
8
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
3
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
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