Liberty improved to 9-0 with a 88-42 win over Kentucky Christian on Friday afternoon inside the Vines Center.
As expected, Caleb Homesley missed his third straight game as he deals with a hamstring injury. He will also sit out Monday’s game against Trinity Baptist.
With an early made three-pointer, Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz reached the 1,000 career point mark as the Flames opened the game on an 17-0 run. Georgie had two early triples, as Darius McGhee, Elijah Cuffee, and Scottie James all got into the early three point action. The Flames made 5-of-6 three point attempts before the first media timeout.
McKay utilized his bench early and often against the 1-10 NAIA program. Myo Baxter-Bell, Shiloh Robinson, Josh Price, Blake Preston, and Colton Reed all checked in in the opening minutes of the game. The son of the former NBA star Mark Price, Josh got into the action with his own three pointer, the second of his career, as Liberty opened the game with a 22-2 lead at the under 12 media timeout.
Coach McKay’s son Luke McKay, the team’s head manager, dressed and played in the game wearing the number 13. All 13 Flames dressed on Friday, had checked into the game before the under 8 media timeout as McKay was joined on the court by Tytist Dean and Brendan Newton. The subs would maintain the lead as Price connected on both of his early triples and the 7’2″ Brendan Newton got an early bucket just before the media timeout with 7:16 left in the first half and Liberty leading, 30-9.
Seven Flames made a three pointer in the opening minutes, led by Cuffee’s 3. Liberty made 11-of-16 three point shots as they continued to lead, 45-24, with 2:23 left in the first half.
Liberty would double up Kentucky Christian, 48-24, in the first half thanks to 63% shooting from three as the Flames made 12-of-19 three pointers in the opening 20 minutes. Cuffee, McGhee, Price, and Pacheco-Ortiz all had multiple triples in the first half, as Cuffee and James led the team with 9 points and 4 rebounds each. Freshmen Kyle Rode and Shiloh Robinson also got into the action with a made triple in the first half.
The second half would go much the same as the first as Liberty pushed its lead over 30 in the opening minutes thanks to buckets by Scottie James and another three pointer by Elijah Cuffee. Even Myo Baxter-Bell would get in on the action as he connected on his first made three pointer of the season as Liberty went up 71-32 with 10 minutes left in the game.
The Flames would coast to the win behind 16 made triples on 28 attempts. Liberty came just one made three pointer short of the school record 17 made threes which has been done three times prior, all under head coach Ritchie McKay.
Scottie James led the team in scoring and rebounding with 15 points and 7 rebounds and he made all 5 of his field goals and all 4 of his free throws. Josh Price netted a career-high 13 points while making 5-of-9 shots and 2-of-3 from 3. Elijah Cuffee rounded out the double figure scorers as he added 12 points and 5 rebounds.
Myo Baxter-Bell chipped in 9 points and 4 rebounds off the bench while Black Preston added 7 points and 4 rebounds and Brendan Newton had 6 points and 7 rebounds. No Liberty player played more than Darius McGhee’s 22 minutes.
Liberty will return to action on Monday night against Trinity Baptist at 10 p.m. (yes, you read that right).
