The Liberty Flames (19-6, 10-2) and Bellarmine Knights (14-11, 6-6) will meet Thursday night at Liberty Arena in Lynchburg, Virginia.
It will be the first time Bellarmine has been back in Liberty Arena since knocking off the Flames in the 2022 ASUN Tournament semifinals last year, ending Liberty’s streak of three straight conference championships. The Knights are coming off a win over Jacksonville State on Saturday. This will be the second meeting of the season between the two teams, with Liberty defeating Bellarmine, 70-53, back on Dec. 29.
“A Scott Davenport team is going to find a way,” Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay said of Bellarmine’s coach. “He’s proven it. He’s one of the best coaches around. You can see the little adjustments they’ve made. You can tell in their last four games, you can just tell, they are more and more confident. They are as dangerous as they have been in the past. We will have to be right.”
Here’s everything you need to know for Thursday’s matchup:
How to Watch – Liberty Flames (19-6, 10-2) vs Bellarmine (14-11, 6-6)
- Date: Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023
- Start Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN+
- Online Streaming: Watch ESPN
- Radio (Lynchburg): LFSN Radio (107.5 FM)
Odds and Statistics
- KenPom currently gives Liberty a 93 percent chance to win the game with a predicted score of 71-54.
- ESPN’s Basketball Power Index currently gives Liberty an 95.4 percent chance to win the game.
Previous Matchup
- Liberty leads the all-time series, 3-1.
- The Flames defeated Lipscomb, 70-53, on Dec.29 in Louisville.
- Darius McGhee led the Flames with 24 points while Kyle Rode added 22 points. McGhee did his damage from behind the arc as he was 8 of 15 from three while Rode made 9 of 10 shots from inside the three-point line.
Probable Starters
Stat Leaders (2022 Season)
Liberty:
- Points: Darius McGhee – 20.8 PPG
- Rebounds: Joseph Venzant – 5.3 RPG
- Assists: Colin Porter – 4.2 APG
Ritchie McKay Press Conference Pre-Bellarmine
