Liberty (19-1, 5-0) vs. North Florida (11-9, 4-1)
Jacksonville, Florida – UNF Arena (5,800 capacity)
Thursday, Jan. 23, 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN+
Radio: Alan York will have the Liberty radio network call on 107.5 FM in Lynchburg or also streaming online.
Last Meeting: Liberty won 2 of the 3 games a season ago, including a 71-63 win in the ASUN semifinals. The Flames did lose in their only trip to UNF Arena, 75-70.
Series History: Tied 2-2.

Projected LU Starters:

11 Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz (Sr., 6-1, 175) – 9.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.2 apg
2 Darius McGhee (So., 5-9, 150) – 9.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.5 apg
10 Elijah Cuffee (Jr., 6-4, 200) – 8.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.3 apg
1 Caleb Homesley (R-Sr., 6-6, 205) – 12.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.5 apg
31 Scottie James (R-Sr., 6-7, 230) – 10.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.2 apg

Top LU Reserves:

0 Myo Baxter-Bell (R-Sr., 6-5, 255) – 8.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.6 apg
22 Kyle Rode (Fr., 6-7, 220) – 5.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.5 apg
33 Shiloh Robinson (Fr., 6-7, 200) – 3.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 0.5 apg

Projected North Florida Starters:

10 Ivan Gandia-Rosa (Sr., 6-1, 193) – 14.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 5.7 apg
3 JT Escobar (Sr., 6-2, 186) – 12.0 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 1.2 apg
11 Garrett Sams (Sr., 6-7, 209) – 14.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.2 apg
23 Carter Hendricksen (So., 6-7, 217) – 15.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.8 apg
2 Wajid Aminu (Sr., 6-7, 197) – 10.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.1 apg

Top North Florida Reserves:

0 Emmanuel Adedoyin (Fr., 6-2, 161) – 3.5 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 1.2 apg
5 Dorian James (Fr., 6-7, 202) – 3.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 0.9 apg
12 Ryan Burkhardt (Jr., 6-4, 184) – 3.1 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.8 apg

QUICK FACTS

  • The Flames have won 14 straight home games, just shy of the program record of 16 set in 1983-84.
  • Liberty ended 2019 with the second highest winning percentage (.882) in Division I going 32-4.
  • The Flames have 10 wins away from home this season, the most of any team in Division I.
  • Liberty is ranked No. 2 in the country in scoring defense, holding opponents to 51.1 points per game.
  • Liberty has three 1,000 career point scorers on the team, the most of any team in school history. Richmond is the only other Division I team in the country that has three 1,000 point scorers on their team.
  • The Flames ended non-conference play with 6 neutral court wins, the most Liberty has ever had in a single season.
  • Liberty looks to become the first team since FGCU in 2017 to repeat as ASUN Champions.
  • The three games last season between Liberty and UNF were decided by an average of 6.3 points.
  • UNF Arena is the only away venue Liberty has not won at in the ASUN.
  • Liberty is a 6 point favorite.

PREVIEW

Before the season started, Liberty was the pick to repeat as ASUN champions as the Flames returned 4 starters and6 of the top 8 rotation pieces. Everyone else in the ASUN lost key pieces, if not multiple pieces, from a season ago. Well, everybody except for North Florida.

The Ospreys return literally everybody from a team that finished 3rd in the ASUN last season, behind Liberty and Lipscomb. They were one of only two teams defeat either the Flames or Bisons in league play last season, as they knocked off Liberty in Jacksonville, 75-70, on February 23rd.

Their starting lineup of Ivan Gandia-Rosa, JT Escobar, Garrett Sams, Carter Hendricksen, and Wajid Aminu rivals Liberty’s starting group as the best starting lineup in the league. Each starter is averaging double figures scoring this season.

“It would be a mistake to discount the quality of basketball that they play and the level of player that participates or resides in their program or on their campus because of their record,” Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay said of the Ospreys. “They are good and we know they are good. Matt (Driscoll) does a terrific job, he’s way underrated. It’s an unconventional style, but they present matchup problems because they have five really good starters and their bench is giving them great minutes this year. They have a complete team and they should be in the conversation for conference champion.”

All three games between the Flames and Ospreys last season were hotly contested with all games decided by single digits. Last year’s game at UNF, was the only one in which a team was able to secure a double digit lead as the Flames led by as many as 13 points before North Florida got hot and stormed back to the win.

“Our guys are very aware the quality of opponent we are going to face,” said McKay. “We try and really focus on ourselves and try to find the best version of who we are, but we anticipate an electric environment, a game which adversity will strike, and hopefully our maturity and our commitment to our execution will be at the level we will need it to be to win the game.”

The Ospreys have coined the moniker Birds of Trey for their propensity to shoot the three-ball. They lead the country in all three-point field goal categories included attempted (632), made (240) and makes per game (12.0). Even with shooting that many, UNF still ranks 21st nationally in three point field goal percentage at 38%. Against Syracuse earlier this season, 46-of-54 field goals attempted by North Florida were of the three-point variety.

Liberty will certainly have its work cut out, but the Flames are 10th nationally in three-point field goal percentage defense holding opponents to 27.7% from behind the arc.

North Florida certainly challenged themselves in the non-conference with 6 games against top 50 opponents as they faced Florida, Iowa, Creighton, Florida State, Syracuse, and Dayton.

“They have a really good team,” McKay said. “I don’t know what our record would be if we played those 6 opponents. I do think it will be a game that many anticipate, and hopefully it will be as good as advertised.”

KENPOM PREDICTION

Liberty 69, North Florida 64