#1 Liberty (25-6, 13-5 CUSA) opens up CUSA Tournament play against #8 UTEP (18-14, 7-11) on Wednesday evening in the CUSA Quarterfinals.

Here’s what you need to know about the game:

How to Watch

6:30 p.m. ET | Wednesday, March 12
Huntsville, AL | Propst Arena at the Von Braun Center
TV: ESPN+

Liberty vs UTEP Odds (KenPom)

Spread: Liberty -8
Projected score: Liberty 73, UTEP 65

Liberty Projected Starters

#0 Colin Porter

Junior Guard | 5’10”, 170
9.1 ppg, 4.1 apg, 44.1% from 3

#3 Kaden Metheny

R-Senior Guard | 5’11”, 170
12.8 ppg, 37.2% from 3

#32 Jayvon Maughmer

Senior Guard | 6’6″, 205
8.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg

#25 Zach Cleveland

Junior Forward | 6’7″, 220
10.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.1 apg

#8 Owen Aquino

Junior Forward | 6’8″, 230
9.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.1 bpg

Liberty vs UTEP History

The Flames are 2-3 all-time against UTEP with all of the prior meetings coming over these past two seasons since Liberty joined CUSA. This is the second year in a row these two teams meet in the Quarterfinals, with 5-seed UTEP defeating 4-seed Liberty, 66-57, last year.

Liberty vs UTEP Storylines

MINERS DEFEAT SAM HOUSTON TO ADVANCE

Through the early parts of conference play it looked like UTEP would be in the mix of the CUSA Championship race. Coming off a run to the CUSA Championship Game a year ago in Huntsville, UTEP was 14-4 overall and 4-1 in conference play following a two-game road trip sweep at Liberty and FIU. Even a couple of weeks later, the Miners were 7-4 in conference play and looked like they had a track to a regular season title.

That all changed over the final month of the regular season as UTEP limped home with a seven-game losing streak. The skid began at home on Feb. 15 when the Flames defeated the Miners, 76-69. Five of the seven losses were by single digits including a one-point overtime setback at home to Middle Tennessee.

Many expected UTEP to get beat in the opening round of the CUSA Tournament on Tuesday night by upstart Sam Houston who had won 5 of 7 entering this week in Huntsville. That wasn’t the case though as the Miners used a barrage of three-pointers to get past the Bearkats, 79-65. UTEP was 12 of 25 from three-point range led by Corey Camper Jr.’s four made triples and 18 points.

QUARTERFINAL REMATCH

It will be a rematch of last year’s CUSA Tournament Quarterfinal. The Flames and Miners finished last season at 7-9 in conference play, tied for 4th place. The two met in the CUSA Quarterfinals in Huntsville, Alabama in the 4-5 game with the 5-seed UTEP getting the win, 66-57.

Liberty led the game 54-42 with just over 10 minutes remaining following a Kaden Metheny made three-pointer, but, from there, it was all UTEP. The Miners closed the game on a 24-3 run to win going away and cruise into the CUSA semifinals.

The Miners went on an 11-0 run to quickly cut their deficit to just a single point, with a couple of those baskets coming off turnovers that led to fast break buckets at the paint. Down the stretch, when Liberty only scored three points, the Flames missed the front end of a one-and-one three times – Joseph Venzant, Colin Porter, and Shiloh Robinson all had their opportunities bounce off the rim. The Flames were just 4 of 10 from the charity stripe compared to 19 of 22 by the Miners, and those missed front ends of one and ones are akin to turnovers. UTEP would go on the next day to upset the 1-seed Sam Houston before falling to Western Kentucky in the CUSA Tournament final.

UTEP BANGED UP?

This time of the year every time is dealing with various injuries. The same can be said of Liberty with Kaden Metheny, most notably, getting dinged up late in the season but still being able to fight through and play. Coach McKay said earlier this week that the Flames were healthy and ready to go.

Meanwhile, UTEP seems to be a little banged up. Two of their regulars, 6’10” forward Derick Hamilton and 6’3″ guard Ahamad Bynum did not play in Tuesday’s Quarterfinal game against Sam Houston. Head coach Joe Golding played with a shortened bench, with each of his starters playing 30+ minutes and only one bench player playing more than 10 minutes on Tuesday against the Bearkats. Hamilton and Bynum are both key members of this UTEP squad, with Bynum being the one who hit the game winner as time expired to beat the Flames at Liberty Arena back on Feb. 3.