Liberty (13-0) vs. Akron (9-2)
Washington, DC – The Entertainment and Sports Arena
Saturday, Dec. 21, 3:30 p.m. ET

TV: Flo Hoops
Radio: Matt Warner will have the Liberty radio network call on 107.5 FM in Lynchburg or also streaming online.
Last Meeting: Liberty lost to the Zips, 90-56, on November 25, 2001
Series History: Akron leads 1-0.

Projected LU Starters:

11 Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz (Sr., 6-1, 175) – 8.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.3 apg
2 Darius McGhee (So., 5-9, 150) – 9.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.7 apg
10 Elijah Cuffee (Jr., 6-4, 200) – 9.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.5 apg
1 Caleb Homesley (R-Sr., 6-6, 205) – 10.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.2 apg
31 Scottie James (R-Sr., 6-7, 230) – 9.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.2 apg

Projected Akron Starters:

1 Loren Christian Jackson (R-Jr., 5-8, 150) – 14.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.9 apg
20 Xeyrius Williams (Sr., 6-9, 215) – 14.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 1.5 apg
11 Channel Banks (Sr.., 6-4, 188) – 11.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.9 apg
5 Camron Reece (Jr., 6-7, 228) – 7.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 0.3 apg
24 Ali Ali (Fr., 6-8, 206) – 2.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.3 apg

QUICK FACTS

  • Liberty received 25 points in the AP Top 25 poll, the most in school history.
  • In the first edition of the NET rankings, Liberty was ranked #19 this week.
  • The Flames are on a seven game road trip where Liberty will travel to seven different states and travel 9,035 miles.
  • Liberty’s season opening 13 game win streak is the longest winning streak in school history, surpassing the 1980 team which won 11 games in a row.
  • Of the 520 minutes Liberty has played this season, the Flames have trailed for just 37 minutes and 57 seconds.
  • Liberty is ranked #2 in the country in scoring defense, allowing 50.5 ppg. The 602 points allowed in the first 12 games in the fewest Liberty has ever allowed through the team’s first 12 games of the season.
  • Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz is 1 victory away from becoming Liberty’s all-time winningest player in school history, surpassing Lovell Cabbil who set the record last year with 85 wins.

PREVIEW

Liberty is looking for its second tournament title in as many tries during its non-conference schedule this season. The Flames take on Akron in the Championship of the DC Holiday Hoops Fest in Washington, DC at the Entertainment & Sports Arena, home of the Washington Wizards NBA G-League team, the Capital City Go-Go.

The Zips are the best team Liberty has faced and the first top 100 team in the KenPom rankings, as they enter the game ranked 98th. Akron is also ranked 59th in the NET rankings, while the Flames have fallen to 21 this week after opening at 19.

Akron is led by 3rd year head coach John Groce who has previous stints as head coach at Ohio and Illinois. The Zips only losses this season have come against top 25 KenPom teams in West Virginia, 94-84, and Louisville, 82-76. Their best win this season is against KenPom #185 Marshall, 85-73.

They defeated Tulane, 62-61, in the opening game of the DC Holiday Hoops Fest on Friday afternoon.

KENPOM PREDICTION

Liberty 65, Akron 62