The Liberty Flames (21-7, 12-3) and Jacksonville State Gamecocks (11-17, 4-11) will square off Saturday evening in Alabama as the regular season enters its final week.
The Flames will be looking to bounce back after suffering a heartbreaking loss at Kennesaw State on Thursday night to fall into second place in the ASUN standings. Despite the poor record for Jacksonville State, it won’t be an easy win for the Flames in Alabama.
The Gamecocks have been playing much better recently even though they have lost four out of five. Those losses have come against some of the better teams in the league including two against Kennesaw State by a combined five points. JSU has also won three of their last four at home with the only loss coming by a game winning buzzer beater by the Owls.
Here’s everything you need to know for Saturday’s matchup:
How to Watch – Liberty Flames (21-7, 12-3) vs Jacksonville State (11-17, 4-11)
- Date: Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023
- Start Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN+
- Online Streaming: Watch ESPN
- Radio (Lynchburg): LFSN Radio (107.5 FM)
Odds and Statistics
- KenPom currently gives Liberty an 81 percent chance to win the game with a predicted score of 70-60.
- ESPN’s Basketball Power Index currently gives Liberty an 89.6 percent chance to win the game.
Previous Matchup
- The series is tied 1-1.
- Liberty defeated JSU, 75-41, at Liberty Arena on Jan. 5.
- Darius McGhee led the Flames in scoring with 21 points while Brody Peebles added 16. Those two guards combined to shoot 11/17 from three in the win.
Probable Starters
Stat Leaders (2022-23 Season)
Liberty:
- Points: Darius McGhee – 21.9 PPG
- Rebounds: Blake Preston – 5.1 RPG
- Assists: Colin Porter – 4.1 APG
Ritchie McKay Press Conference Pre-Jacksonville State
