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MBB Game Day: Louisiana Tech
1/7/2026 12:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game Day Coverage
- Liberty at Louisiana Tech (Thomas Assembly Center | Ruston, La.)
- Tipoff: Thursday at 7:05 p.m. ET/6:05 p.m. CT
- TV: CBS Sports Network
- Radio: LFSN Radio
- Live Stats
- Liberty (11-3, 3-0 CUSA) will play a CUSA road game at Louisiana Tech (8-6, 1-2 CUSA). The Flames are one of three CUSA teams with 3-0 league records, while the Bulldogs sport a perfect 8-0 home mark.
- This will be the fifth all-time meeting between the two schools. The series is tied 2-2, with the home team winning in each instance. Liberty claimed the most recent meeting by a 77-53 score in Lynchburg (Feb. 6, 2025). The Bulldogs edged the Flames 79-74 last year in Ruston. In that game, Liberty's Taelon Peter scored a game-high 33 points off the bench, the highest scoring output for a Flame off the bench in school history.
- Three of the four matchups between the Flames and Bulldogs have been decided by five points or less.
- Liberty is 1-0 in CUSA road play this year and 2-1 in road games overall. The Flames are 11-3 on the road over the last two seasons, including an 8-2 CUSA mark. Despite the recent success, Liberty is still looking for its first road win at LA Tech (0-2 all-time).
- The Flames have won five straight overall, most recently earning a 78-69 triumph over Jax State. The Bulldogs have dropped two straight, most recently falling 66-61 at Western Kentucky.
- Brett Decker Jr. is No. 2 nationally in three-point percentage (50.9) and No. 5 in threes per game (3.86). Zach Cleveland ranks sixth in the country in assists per game (7.4).
The Flames are shooting 52.3 percent on the year, the ninth-best percentage nationally. The Bulldogs boast the nation's second-best scoring defense (59.1 ppg allowed). - Liberty is No. 2 in the nation in effective field goal percentage (.621), No. 3 in assist/turnover ratio (2.00), No. 5 in fewest turnovers per game (9.0), No. 6 in three-point percentage (40.4) and No. 11 in threes per game (11.2).
- Liberty has 188 wins since the start of the 2018-19 season, seventh most in the nation during that span.
- Liberty is 9-9 all-time in CUSA road games (1-0 this year). The Flames were an impressive 7-2 last season and 1-7 during the 2023-24 season.
- Through Jan. 6 games, CUSA teams are 3-15 in league road games.
- Cleveland had a season-high 20 points in the win over Kennesaw State and had seven boards, three assists, two blocks and two steals. Cleveland's highlight-reel dunk was the No. 2 play on SportsCenter Top 10.
- Cleveland ranks No. 5 in the country and first in CUSA in defensive rebounds per game (7.92). He is also first in the league and 43rd nationally in rebounds per game (8.8) and leads the conference in double-doubles (5).
- Kaden Metheny is No. 12 in the nation and first in CUSA in assist/turnover ratio (3.75).
- Metheny (25 points, six assists at FIU) earned CUSA Player of the Week honors on Dec. 29..
- Colin Porter has 996 career points, needing 17 more to become the 33rd player in school history to reach the 1,000-point mark. Cleveland (962 points) is only 38 points away from 1,000 as well.
- Liberty is 11-0 when outshooting its opponent.
- Cleveland (16 rebounds at Dayton) became the first Flame since Scottie James (17 rebounds) against Georgia State on Dec. 1, 2019 to grab 16 or more rebounds in a game.
- Brett Decker Jr. is the only Flame to score in double figures in all 14 games this season. He has been Liberty's leading scorer (or tied) six times and has six 20-plus point games.
- Liberty finished 66th in the nation in the NCAA Men's Basketball NET Rankings and No. 64 in the KenPom rankings last year. The Flames are currently No. 107 in the KenPom and No. 112 in the NET. LA Tech is No. 224 in the KenPom and No. 252 in the NET.
- Liberty is ranked No. 8 in the College Insider Men's Mid-Major Top 25®, up six spots from last week. The Flames are only team in Conference USA in the Top 25.
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