Back in October, Liberty was picked by the ASUN coaches as the preseason favorite to win the conference title. It’s not surprising as the Flames have been the toast of the league since joining the conference prior to the 2018-19 season.
Over the past five seasons, Liberty has become one of the more prominent mid-major programs in the country. The Flames have won at least a share of four ASUN regular season titles and three tournament titles. In four of the five years, Liberty has produced the conference player of the year with Caleb Homesley winning it in 2020 and Darius McGhee each of the past three seasons.
On Sunday, Liberty will be competing in its final ASUN game as the program will move to Conference USA this summer. Head coach Ritchie McKay has guided the program to five conference championship games over the past six seasons, as the Flames also advanced to the title game in 2018, the final season for Liberty in the Big South.
While the Flames were expected to be playing on the ASUN’s biggest stage, their counterparts for Sunday’s title game at 3 p.m. on ESPN 2 come in as a bit of a surprise.
The Kennesaw State Owls were picked by the league’s coaches in the preseason to finish 8th in the ASUN this season. Under fourth-year head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, the Owls have quickly ascended up the conference standings. in Abdur-Rahim’s first season, KSU had just one win, finishing the season 1-28 overall and 0-16 in the ASUN. The Owls have seen improvement each of the past four seasons under Abdur-Rahim, but the program took a considerable leap forward this year.
At 25-8 overall and 15-3 in the ASUN, Kennesaw State had the program’s best season since moving to the Division I level prior to the 2005-2006 season. This year is the only winning record the Owls have posted during that time, and they won a share of the regular season title.
The Owls get to play on their home floor of the KSU Convocation Center due to winning the tie-breaker with Liberty after defeating the Flames, 88-81, on Feb. 16 in the only meeting between the two teams this season. Liberty led that game by as many as 14 points in the second half and by nine points with just six minutes left in the game. The Owls, however, were able to make the comeback as they executed flawlessly down the stretch, utilizing a 16-3 run in the closing minutes to pick up the win despite Darius McGhee’s 43 points.
“We turned it over late,” McKay said of the previous meeting. “We erred on a couple of defensive assignments and they made plays. I think when you root for a certain team or you are on a sideline of a certain team, there is a propensity to be frustrated with what you didn’t do or what you’re not, but you have to remember there are other good teams out there too. Kennesaw did a great job down the stretch. I think their crowd catapulted them towards the end. It was a tough environment.”
That previous game doesn’t matter now as both teams have their eyes set on the tournament title and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament that games with it. This will be the 10th conference title game all-time for Liberty as the Flames look to make a 6th NCAA Tournament appearance (not counting the 2020 team that clinched a bid to the NCAA Tournament that was canceled due to the COVID pandemic). This will be KSU’s first title game at the Division I level as the Owls are hoping to go to their first ever NCAA Tournament.
Chris Youngblood leads Kennesaw as he was named first team all-conference, but the Owls are a very balanced team. All five starters reached double figures in the first game between the two just a couple weeks ago, led by Youngblood’s 22 points. Senior point guard Terrell Burden had 19 points and was able to get into the paint and to the free throw line late in the game.
ASUN Defensive Player of the Year Brandon Stroud made a big impact in the win with 18 points. Big man Demond Robinson scored 13 while Spencer Rodgers added 11.
“They have a complete team that really flourishes in the system,” said McKay of the Owls. “Amir does a great job of trying to pick on certain things. Challenge presented, but that’s been the case for us in a lot of different situations. I think we’re prepared for it.”
The Flames have certainly been tested throughout the season. Liberty’s non-conference schedule featured games against four teams that won regular season conference titles, and that doesn’t count a Northwestern team that is currently tied for 2nd place in the Big Ten.
Another test that Liberty encountered was Thursday’s ASUN Semifinal game against Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels built a 13-point lead and pushed the Flames to the limit until the final horn sounded. Liberty’s Darius McGhee and Colin Porter combined to score 54 points in the 79-73 win.
“Really grateful because our guys just responded,” McKay said of his team’s win over EKU. “They kept making the next right play. When things didn’t go our way, I don’t think you saw them panic. It’s something that makes me more appreciative of the group that we have and the opportunity that is in front of us.”
Sunday will be a day of history for one of these two teams. Kennesaw could punch their ticket for the first time in school history, or Liberty could punctuate its ASUN tenure with a fourth title in five years.
“We’ve been there,” said McKay. “We’ve seen it. We’ve played a few games like this over the course of our time here. Looking forward to the opportunity.”
