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MBB Game Day: No. 2 Seed Jacksonville State
3/14/2025 11:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game Day Coverage
- No. 1 seed Liberty vs. No. 2 seed Jacksonville State (CUSA Final - Propst Arena in Huntsville, Ala.)
- Tipoff: Saturday at 8:30 p.m. EST/7:30 p.m. CST
- TV: CBS Sports Network
- Radio: LFSN Radio
- Live Stats
- Championship Central
- Championship Ticket Information
- Top-seeded and CUSA regular season champion Liberty (27-6) will meet No. 2 seed Jacksonville State (22-11) in Saturday's CUSA Championship title game. The Flames came back to defeat No. 4 seed Kennesaw State 81-79 in Friday's semifinal round, erasing a 13-point second half deficit. Jax State outlasted No. 3 seed Middle Tennessee 70-68 in the other semifinal.
- Flames guard Kaden Metheny scored 24 points on 7-of-13 shooting from long distance in the comeback win, and Colin Porter added 15 points and five boards.
- Liberty is making its sixth conference title game appearance in the last eight years. The Flames have nine total titles (three tournament titles, six regular season crowns) over the last seven years and have won 176 games in that seven-year span, tied for sixth most nationally. The Flames are 3-2 in their previous five conference tournament title games.
- Liberty and Jax State split the regular season series, with both teams winning at home. The Gamecocks hold a narrow 4-3 edge in the all-time series.
- The Flames prevailed 59-55 over the Gamecocks at Liberty Arena (Feb. 27). The Gamecocks knocked off the Flames 72-61 on Feb. 1, Liberty's only loss by double digits all year. The Liberty defense limited Jaron Pierre Jr. to 22 total points (11.0 ppg) on 7-of-35 shooting in the two matchups. Pierre Jr. is the leading scorer in the league (21.6 ppg) and ranks No. 3 in the nation in scoring average.
This is the Flames' first time as the No. 1 seed at the CUSA Championship. Liberty is the No. 1 seed at a conference tournament for the fourth time ever.The Flames are 11-0 as the No. 1 seed all-time (2004, 2020, 2021 – all tournament titles, 1 Big South and 2 ASUN). - Liberty is 6-4 all-time in conference tournament title games. The Flames' berth in the NCAA Tournament came in 2021.
- Liberty is one of 17 teams in the nation with 27+ wins.
- This is Liberty's second appearance in the CUSA Championship. The Flames are 2-1 all-time at the tournament.
- Liberty is 37-27 all-time in Division I conference tournament games.
- The Flames are 11-0 as the No. 1 seed all-time (2004, 2020, 2021 – all tournament titles, 1 Big South and 2 ASUN).
- Liberty is 6-4 all-time in conference title games. The Flames are 19-14 in conference tournament quarterfinal games after Wednesday's win and 11-7 in the conference tournament semifinals after Friday's victory over Kennesaw State.
- 2023 ASUN: Kennesaw State 67, Liberty 66 (Kennesaw, Ga.)
2021 ASUN: Liberty 79, North Alabama 75 (Jacksonville, Fla.)
2020 ASUN: Liberty 73, Lipscomb 57 (Lynchburg, Va.)
2019 ASUN: Liberty 74, Lipscomb 68 (Nashville, Tenn.)
2018 Big South: Radford 55, Liberty 52 (Radford, Va.)
2013 Big South: Liberty 87, Charleston So. 76 (Conway, S.C)
2004 Big South: Liberty 89, High Point 44 (Lynchburg, Va.)
1997 Big South: Charleston So. 64, Liberty 54 (Lynchburg, Va.)
1996 Big South: UNCG 79, Liberty 53 (Lynchburg, Va.)
1994 Big South: Liberty 76, Campbell 62 (Charleston, S.C.) - CUSA Sixth Player of the Year and All-CUSA third team: Taelon Peter
All-CUSA second team: Kaden Metheny
All-CUSA third team: Zach Cleveland
All-CUSA Honorable Mention: Colin Porter
The Flames' three All-CUSA selections (between first, second and third team) are most in the league. Cleveland and Metheny both earn their second career All-CUSA honors. Cleveland was a second team selection last year, and Metheny was a third team honoree. Peter and Porter earn their first All-CUSA honors. Peter is Liberty's lone major award winner this year. - Junior forward Zach Cleveland was named a finalist for the 2024-25 Lou Henson Award, given annually to the top mid-major college basketball player. Cleveland is one of 35 finalists for the prestigious award.
- Last Tuesday, it was announced that Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay has signed a contract extension through the 2030-31 season. Additionally, McKay was named a finalist for the Hugh Durham Award. The award is presented annually to the top mid-major head coach in college basketball.
Last Wednesday, McKay was named a finalist for the Ben Jobe award. The award is presented annually to the top minority head coach in Division I college basketball. McKay is one of 25 finalists. - Liberty is 63rd in the nation in the current NCAA Men's Basketball NET Rankings and No. 62 in the KenPom rankings. Jacksonville State is No. 123 in the NET and No. 117 in KenPom.
- The Flames have scored 80 or more points in five straight games. The last time Liberty scored 80 or more in at least five straight against all Division I opponents was when the Flames tallied five games of 80 or more from Feb. 17-28, 1997.
- Liberty's average margin of victory in its 27 wins is 17.8 points. The Flames' six losses this year have been by a combined 27 points.
- The Flames are 13-2 over their last 15 games after starting 2-3 in Conference USA regular season play.
- The Flames 21-point win, 81-60, over UTEP on Wednesday is their biggest margin of victory in a conference tournament game since 2004, when Liberty bested High Point 89-44 in the Big South Championship title game.
- Liberty (13-5 CUSA) has won 10 or more league games in eight of the last 10 seasons.
- Colin Porter ranks 17th in the country and first in CUSA in assist/turnover ratio (2.89). The junior guard is eighth in program history for career assists (397).
- Kaden Metheny leads the team in three-pointers made (94) and threes per game (2.94).
- Liberty is 24-0 this year when holding its opponent under 70 points, tied for the second best mark in Division I. Only Houston (28-0) has a better record when holding foes under 70 points. Duke is also 24-0 when holding teams under 70.
- The Flames are 24-1 this season when outshooting their opponents and 14-0 when shooting 50 percent or better.
- The Flames are a combined 15-3 in road (9-2 record) and neutral site games (6-1) during the 2024-25 season.
Players Mentioned
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