MBB Game Day: Charleston
11/6/2025 1:48:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game Day Coverage
- Liberty vs. Charleston
- Tipoff: Friday at 6:02 p.m. ET
- TV: Field of 68 YouTube
- Radio: LFSN Radio
- Live Stats
- Liberty (1-0) and Charleston (1-0) will meet in the first game of the Field of 68 Tip-Off at Liberty Arena. This is the third and final year of the three-year round-robin series featuring mid-major powers Liberty, Charleston and Florida Atlantic.
- Liberty opened the season with a 98-57 triumph over Kentucky Christian. Sophomore Brett Decker Jr. poured in a career-high 29 points, and Zach Cleveland (13 points, 10 rebounds) notched a double-double. Decker Jr's eight threes in that game are tied for the third most in a single contest in program history.
- JJ Harper (11 points), Ryan Jones Jr. (career-high 10 points), Zander Carter (four points), TJ Drain (four points), Drew Grimes (four points), Torr Sorensen (three points) and Brady Kester (two rebounds) made their Flames debuts on Monday night.
- Liberty is 1-3 all-time against Charleston. The two squads have split the meetings in the Field of 68 Media Network Tip-Off event. The Flames took the 2024 meeting by a 68-47 scored behind a dominant defensive effort on Charleston's home floor. The Liberty defense held the Cougars to 18 points on 21.4 percent in the second half in the triumph. Tied 29-29 at the half, the Flames went on a 23-4 run to start the second frame to pull away for the victory. Zach Cleveland led the way for the Flames with 20 points, five rebounds, three assists, four blocks and three steals. The Cougars topped the Flames 76-67 in a neutral site game at Florida Atlantic in the first year of the event in 2023. Charleston owns a 3-1 edge in the all-time series thanks to other wins in 2001 and 1991.
- Liberty is 1-3 all-time at the Field of 68 Tip-Off event. The Flames are 1-1 versus Charleston and 0-2 against Florida Atlantic. FAU hosted the event in 2023, followed by Charleston in 2024.
- The Flames' Cleveland, Kaden Metheny and Colin Porter were voted to the 2025-26 CUSA Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference team. Cleveland and Metheny are both two-time All-CUSA selections, while Porter garnered honorable mention distinction last year.
- Liberty has been picked to finish first in the CUSA Men's Basketball Preseason Poll.
- Liberty has 178 wins over the past seven-plus seasons, sixth most in the nation during that span.
- Liberty is one of four teams in the nation with 10 or more total titles in the last seven seasons (others: Gonzaga, Vermont, Colgate). The Flames' 10 titles include one CUSA Tournament crown, one CUSA regular season title, three ASUN Tournament crowns, four ASUN regular season titles and an ASUN Division title.
- On Tuesday, the program announced the addition of Washington Wizards forward Anthony Gill as Chief Basketball Advisor.
- This will be Liberty's second all-time game on Nov. 7. In 2022, the Flames played on this date for the first time, opening the season against Regent. Liberty prevailed 104-38 in that contest. Five Liberty players scored in double figures, led by 17 points apiece from McGhee and Brody Peebles. Blake Preston (16 points), Joseph Venzant (11 points, seven rebounds) and Zach Cleveland (11 points, three blocks) reached double digits as well. Meanwhile, Liberty Men's Basketball Head Coach Ritchie McKay picked up his 200th all-time victory with the Flames.
- Liberty was voted No. 1 in the Field of 68 Mid Major Preseason Top 25. In addition to the Flames' honor, forward Zach Cleveland was tabbed a Preseason Mid Major All American first team selection by the Field of 68 as well. Cleveland, a senior, enjoyed a strong campaign last year, averaging 11.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg and 5.1 apg. Cleveland led the nation in assists per game (5.1) among forwards, finishing No. 51 nationally and No. 2 in CUSA in assists per game.
- Liberty is ranked No. 3 in the preseason College Insider Men's Mid-Major Top 25®. The top five includes Gonzaga (No. 1), Saint Mary's (No. 2), Liberty (No. 3), Illinois State (No. 4) and Yale (No. 5).
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/ Men's BasketballCoach McKay Talks About Preparing For Charleston
Wednesday, November 05
JJ Harper & Colin Porter Talk About Preparing For Charleston
Wednesday, November 05
Coach McKay Talks About The Win Over KCU
Tuesday, November 04
Brett Decker Jr. & Zach Cleveland Talk About The Win Over KCU
Tuesday, November 04