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MBB Game Day: Western Kentucky
2/20/2026 1:27:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game Day Coverage
Liberty Storylines
- Liberty vs. Western KentuckyÂ
- Tipoff: Saturday at 4 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN+
- Radio:Â LFSN Radio
- Live Stats
Liberty Storylines
- CUSA-leading Liberty (23-3, 15-0 CUSA) will host Western Kentucky (15-11, 8-7 CUSA) on on Saturday afternoon. The Flames carry a 17-game winning streak into the game.
- Liberty's 17-game winning streak is the second longest in the nation at present and longest in program history. The Flames are also one of two teams in the nation currently unbeaten in conference play (other-Miami (Ohio)). Liberty has won 20 straight league games (including postseason) dating back to last year, the longest streak in DI.
- The Flames clinched at least a share of the CUSA regular season crown for the second straight year with a dramatic 90-89 OT win over FIU Thursday. Liberty can clinch the outright CUSA regular season and No. 1 seed for the CUSA Championship if it either defeats WKU on Saturday or Sam Houston loses to Jax State. The Hilltoppers are coming off an OT win of their own, an 88-87 victory at Delaware Wednesday.
- Liberty has claimed 11 total titles (seven regular season and/or division, four tournament titles) over the last eight seasons, tied for most in the country.
- Liberty is No. 2 in the nation in field goal percentage (52.0), No. 2 in assist/turnover ratio (2.01,) No. 2 in effective field goal percentage (.617), No. 3 in three-point percentage (40.6), No. 3 in fewest turnovers per game (8.8) and No. 5 in fewest fouls per game (13.9) (leads CUSA in all of the above).
- Liberty (23-3, 15-0 CUSA) clinched at least a share of the CUSA regular season crown for the second straight year with the win over FIU Thursday. Sam Houston (18-8, 10-5 CUSA) is currently in second place.
- Liberty can clinch the outright CUSA regular season title and #1 seed (both for second straight year) if it either defeats WKU on Saturday OR Sam Houston loses to Jacksonville State.
- The Flames' magic number to earn the outright title is one, meaning Liberty has to win one game at any point the rest of the way OR Sam Houston has to lose a game at any point for the Flames to claim the outright regular season crown.
- Over the last eight years (including this season), Liberty has claimed seven conference regular season titles (one was a Division title in 2022) and four league tournament titles.Â
- If Liberty were to claim the CUSA regular season title,the Flames would be the first team to repeat at CUSA regular season champions since Middle Tennessee did so in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
- Liberty is one of four teams in the nation with 11 or more titles in the last eight years. The others are Gonzaga, Vermont and Colgate. The Flames' 11 titles are tied for the most nationally with Colgate.
- Liberty has exactly 200 victories since the start of the 2018-19 season (eight years), fifth most nationally.
- This will be the sixth all-time meeting between the two programs, with Liberty holding a 3-2 series edge. Four of the five meetings have been decided by seven points or less (those four decided by a total of 13 points), including this year's first matchup at Western Kentucky. The Flames emerged victorious in that one on Jan. 21 by a 76-69 score at E.A. Diddle Arena. The Flames improved to 8-0 in the league, which marked their start in conference play in program history at the time (now 15-0). The Flames drilled a season-high 17 three-pointers on only 29 attempts (58.6 percent). Liberty's 17 threes are still their most ever in a Conference USA game to date.
- The Flames are 15-0 in league play for the first time.Â
- Prior to this year, Liberty's best start ever in league play was 7-0, set during the 2018-19 season.Â
- The Flames are one of 17 teams in the nation with 23 or more wins.
- Liberty is 6-1 this year (5-0 CUSA) in games decided by three points or less.
- Liberty is the first team to start 15-0 or better in CUSA play since the 2012-13 Memphis team (16-0).
- The Flames are currently No. 81 in the NCAA NET Rankings and No. 93 in KenPom. The Hilltoppers are No. 177 in the NET and No. 179 in KenPom.
- Liberty has won 20 straight contests (including postseason play) against Conference USA opponents, the longest conference winning streak in the country, and is 26-1 in its last 27 games against conference foes dating back to last year.
- Liberty is one of 15 teams in the nation with five or more players averaging in double figures scoring.Â
- Brett Decker Jr. ranks No. 2 nationally in three-point percentage (48.4), No. 11 in three-pointers per game (3.38) and No. 12 in total triples (88).
- Decker Jr. is leading the team in scoring at 18.6 ppg in 13 home games while making 48 threes at a 52.2 percent clip.
- Zach Cleveland ranks No. 7 in the country in assists per game (7.1) and No. 8 in defensive rebounds per game (7.12). He is also leads the conference in double-doubles (8).
- Cleveland notched his first career triple-double, the only player in CUSA this year to have a triple-double, against Missouri State (19 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists) and earned his second CUSA Player of the Week honor, Feb. 9.
- Liberty is 66-of-78 from the foul line (84.6 percent) in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime in its 15 CUSA games.
- The Flames have led for 446:52 of a possible 610 minutes in conference play (73.3 percent).
- Liberty is 22-0 when outshooting its opponent and has shot 50 percent or better 17 times (17-0 in those instances).
- Decker Jr. has scored in double figures in 24 games this season. He has been Liberty's leading scorer (or tied) 11 Â times and has nine 20-plus point games.Â
- All five starters are averaging 12.0 ppg or more in conference play (Decker Jr. 16.4 ppg/Metheny 13.6 ppg/ Cleveland 12.9 ppg/Harper 12.3 ppg/Porter 12.0 ppg).
- Liberty has won nine straight road games, tied for the third longest streak in the country. The Flames' nine road victories are tied for fourth most in the nation.
- Liberty has won 17 games in a row, the second longest streak in the nation and the longest streak in school history.Â
-8-0 home, 9-0 road, 14-0 CUSA, 2-0 non-conference
-78.8 points per game, 69.5 points per game allowed
-51.6% from the field, 40.5% from three (170 3s), 73.2% from FT line
-Leading scorer: Brett Decker Jr. 16.1 ppg
-Leading rebounder: Zach Cleveland 7.3 rpg
-Leader in assists: Zach Cleveland 6.6 apg (106 total/16 games)
-Biggest margin of victory vs. a DI team: 16 (three times)-at Louisiana Tech (Jan. 8), vs. Delaware (Jan. 24) and at Middle Tennessee (Jan. 29)
-Closest win: 90-89 (OT) over FIU (Feb. 19)
-Marquee non-conference win: 64-61 at Dayton (Dec. 20)
-Only 8.4 turnovers per game in the 17 wins, including 10 games with seven or less
-All starters averaging 11.5 ppg or more in those 17 games (Decker Jr. 16.1 ppg/Metheny 13.8 ppg/Cleveland 12.9 ppg/Porter 11.9 ppg/Harper 11.5 ppg)
-17.3 assists per game, 6.8 steals per game
-Streak started on Dec. 16, last loss was Dec. 10 (will be a span of 73 days when Liberty plays WKU Â since it last lost)
-Second longest win streak in country, behind only Miami (Ohio), who is 26-0 this season
-Longest win streak in program history, surpassing the 2019-20 Flames which started the 2019-20 season with a 14-0 record (Nov. 8-Dec. 21, 2019) - Liberty is ranked No. 3 in the College Insider Men's Mid-Major Top 25® for a fifth straight week, behind only No. 1 Gonzaga (26-2) and No. 2 Miami (Ohio) (26-0). The Flames are the only CUSA team in the Top 25.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's BasketballCoach McKay Talks About The Win Over FIU
Friday, February 20
Zach Cleveland & Kaden Metheny Talk About The Win Over FIU
Friday, February 20
Zander Carter & Kaden Metheny Talk About Preparing For FIU
Wednesday, February 18
Coach McKay Talks About Preparing For FIU
Wednesday, February 18