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MBB Game Day: Sam Houston
1/9/2026 4:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game Day Coverage
- Liberty at Sam Houston (Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum | Huntsville, Texas)
- Tipoff: Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT
- TV:Â ESPN+
- Radio:Â LFSN Radio
- Live Stats
- Liberty (12-3, 4-0 CUSA) will close out a two-game road trip at Sam Houston (9-6, 1-3 CUSA) on Saturday afternoon. The Flames are 3-1 against the Bearkats since joining CUSA, including a two-game sweep last year.Â
- This will be the seventh all-time meeting between the two programs and fifth with both teams in Conference USA. Liberty holds a 4-2 edge in the all-time series.Last year's meeting in Huntsville resulted in a 76-68 win for the Flames in their CUSA road opener. Colin Porter had a strong showing, as he did not miss a shot or free throw on his way to a team-high 17 points (4-4 FG, 3-3 3FG, 6-6 FT). He also hit a half court buzzer beater to end the first half. The win snapped Sam Houston's 17-game home conference winning streak.
- The Flames the only remaining unbeaten team in CUSA play after a 72-56 win at LA Tech on Thursday night. Sam Houston earned its first league win, 72-60 over Delaware to snap a two-game losing skid.
- Liberty has won six straight games overall. The Flames are 2-0 in CUSA road play this year and 3-1 in road games overall. Liberty is the only team in the conference with multiple road league wins. The Flames are 12-3 on the road over the last two seasons, including a 9-2 CUSA mark. Sam Houston is 5-0 at home this season. Â
- Brett Decker Jr. is No. 2 nationally in three-point percentage (50.9) and No. 6 in threes per game (3.80). Zach Cleveland ranks No. 5 in the country in assists per game (7.4).Â
- Liberty is No. 2 in the nation in effective field goal percentage (.616), No. 3 in assist/turnover ratio (1.99), No. 3 in fewest turnovers per game (8.9), Â No. 6 in three-point percentage (40.2) No. 9 in threes per game (11.2) and No. 12 in field goal percentage (51.9). The Flames CUSA in all of those categories.
- Liberty has 189 wins since the start of the 2018-19 season, tied for sixth most in the nation in that span.-On Thursday night, Colin Porter became the 33rd player in program history to score 1,000 career points in a Liberty uniform with his 11-point effort. Porter's layup at the 16:51 mark of the second half put him over 1,000 points (1,001).Â
- Zach Cleveland (972 points) is only 28 points away from 1,000 for his career.
- The Flames are 4-0 in CUSA play for the first time. In Liberty's first four games in the last two seasons prior to this year, the Flames were a combined 3-5 (2-2 2024-25, 1-3 2023-24).
- Liberty is 10-9 all-time in CUSA road games (2-0 this year). The Flames were an impressive 7-2 last season and 1-7 during the 2023-24 season.
- Through Jan. 8 games, CUSA teams are 4-20 in league road games. Liberty (2-0) has half of those road triumphs.
- Liberty is 20-of-22 from the foul line in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime in its first four CUSA games.
- Cleveland ranks No. 5 in the country and first in CUSA in defensive rebounds per game (7.79). He is also first in the league and 44th nationally in rebounds per game (8.7) and leads the conference in double-doubles (5).
- Kaden Metheny is No. 13 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.
- Liberty is 12-0 when outshooting its opponent.
- Brett Decker Jr. is the only Flame to score in double figures in all 15 games this season. He has been Liberty's leading scorer (or tied) seven times and has six 20-plus point games. He led Liberty with 15 points at LA Tech.
- 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. 100 in the KenPom and No. 105 in the NET. Sam Houston is No. 111 in the NET and No. 122 in the KenPom.
- This will be Liberty's 20th all-time game on Jan. 10. The Flames are 6-13 all-time on this date and have dropped three straight. The Flames' last game on this date was a 61-51 home setback to Jacksonville State two years ago in 2024 in its first-ever CUSA home game. Liberty shot 34 percent (18-of-53) from the field. and 26.5 percent (9-of-34) from three-point territory. Liberty's last win on this date came 17 years ago in 2009, a 79-60 Big South home triumph over Charleston Southern at the Vines Center.
Players Mentioned
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