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MBB Game Day: New Mexico State
2/10/2026 1:18:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game Day Coverage
- Liberty at New Mexico State (Pan American Center | Las Cruces, N.M.)
- Tipoff: Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/7 p.m. MT
- TV: ESPN+
- Radio: LFSN Radio
- Live Stats
- CUSA-leading Liberty (20-3, 12-0 CUSA) will play at NM State (11-12, 4-9 CUSA), Wednesday evening. Liberty's 12-0 league start is the best start to a conference season in program history.
- The Flames are one of three teams in the nation currently unbeaten in conference play. Liberty has won 17 straight conference games (including postseason) dating back to last season, the longest streak in the country.
- Liberty's 14-game winning streak is the third longest streak in the country at present. The streak is tied for the best in school history. The 2019-20 Flames went 14-0 to start the 2019-20 season.
- Zach Cleveland, who was named CUSA Player of the Week on Monday, notched his first career triple-double (19 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists) in the win over Missouri State. Cleveland is the 23rd player in league history to record a triple-double and first since 2023 (Rice's Max Fiedler). He is the 12th player to achieve a triple-double in a CUSA game.
- Liberty has 197 wins since the start of the 2018-19 season, fifth most in the country in that span.
Liberty is 7-1 on the road, including a perfect 6-0 CUSA road mark. In those six wins, the Flames are shooting 52.2 percent from the field with 68 threes.
Liberty is No. 2 in the nation in field goal percentage (52.6), No. 2 in three-point percentage (40.8), No. 2 in effective field goal percentage (.623), No. 3 in fewest turnovers per game (8.7), No. 4 in assist/turnover ratio (2.05) and No. 6 in fewest fouls per game (13.9) (leads CUSA in all of the above). - This will be the sixth all-time meeting between the two teams. Liberty is 4-1 all-time against New Mexico State, with the Flames winning each of the last four meetings. On Jan. 15, Liberty topped NM State 73-71 at Liberty Arena. Liberty led by 17, 46-29, at halftime before NM State mounted a furious second half comeback and had a look to win the game in the closing seconds, but the Flames prevailed. Liberty shot 54.2 percent (26-of-48) for the game, including a 62.1 percent mark (18-of-29) in the first half. The Flames are 1-1 all-time against the Aggies at the Pan American Center. Last season (Feb. 13, 2025), Liberty's stout defense keyed a come-from-behind 64-54 win at NM State, giving the Flames their 20th win of the season. The Flames surrendered only 12 Aggies points over the first 16:30 of the second stanza.
- The Flames are 12-0 in CUSA play for the first time.
- The Flames are currently No. 80 in the NCAA NET Rankings and No. 91 in KenPom. The Aggies are No. 184 in the NET and No. 171 in KenPom
- Liberty has won 17 straight contests (including postseason play) against Conference USA opponents and is 23-1 in its last 24 games against conference foes dating back to last year.
- Brett Decker Jr. ranks No. 2 nationally in three-point percentage (50.6), No. 7 in three-pointers per game (3.52) and No. 10 in total triples (81).
- Cleveland ranks No. 4 in the country in assists per game (7.3) and No. 10 in defensive rebounds per game (7.14). He is also leads the conference in double-doubles (7).
- Cleveland (505 career assists) notched 11 assists in his triple-double against Missouri State (also 19 points, 10 rebounds) to become the fifth player in program history with 500+ career assists.
- Liberty is the first team to start 12-0 or better in CUSA play since the 2012-13 Memphis team (16-0).
- Liberty is 50-of-59 from the foul line (84.7 percent) in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime in its 12 CUSA games.
- The Flames have led for 380:36 of a possible 485 minutes in conference play (78.5 percent).
- Liberty is 20-0 when outshooting its opponent and has shot 50 percent or better 15 times.
- Decker Jr. has scored in double figures in 22 games this season. He has been Liberty's leading scorer (or tied) 11 times and has nine 20-plus point games. He is averaging a team-best 17.1 ppg in 12 CUSA games.
- All five starters are averaging in double figures in conference play (Decker Jr. 17.1 ppg/Metheny 13.9 ppg/ Cleveland 12.3 ppg/Porter 12.3 ppg/Harper 11.0 ppg).
- This will be Liberty's 13th all-time game on Feb. 11. The Flames are 4-8 all-time on this date. Liberty last played on this date three years ago (2023), an 83-73 home ASUN triumph over Eastern Kentucky. Darius McGhee led the way with a game-high 28 points, while Kyle Rode added 17 points and eight rebounds. Colin Porter finished with 11 points and made 8-of-8 free throws down the stretch in helping seal the win. Liberty led 61-46 with 8:28 left before EKU clawed its way back into the game and got within six, 63-57, with 4:04 left following a three-point play from Devontae Blanton (game-high 26 points). On the next trip down the court, Peebles buried a crucial three-pointer from the corner for a nine-point Liberty advantage. The Colonels got within four, 72-68, with 1:56 left following a Blanton three, but the Flames hit 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch to prevail.
- Liberty is ranked No. 3 in the College Insider Men's Mid-Major Top 25® for a fourth straight week, behind only No. 1 Gonzaga (23-2) and No. 2 Miami (Ohio) (24-0). The Flames are the only CUSA team in the Top 25.
- Kaden Metheny ranks No. 36 nationally and first in CUSA in assist/turnover ratio (2.96). He is third nationally among current DI players in career three-pointers made (377) and tied for No. 5 in games played (153).
- Colin Porter ranks seventh among active Division I players in career assist/turnover ratio (2.65).
- Decker Jr. is No. 1 among all active Division I players in career three-point percentage (49.1).
Players Mentioned
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