The Liberty Flames (17-5, 8-1) and FGCU Eagles (14-8, 4-5) will meet Saturday night at Liberty Arena.
FGCU arguably had the most impressive non-conference performance of any team in the ASUN. They went 10-3 with a win over Southern Cal and their losses included games against current top 25 teams in Tennessee and Florida Atlantic.
The Eagles have struggled under first year head coach Pat Chambers in conference play though. FGCU has lost five of their past seven games to slip to 4-5 in conference play. The Eagles have dropped their last two games by two points each, falling at home to Kennesaw State prior to losing at Queens on Thursday night.
6’1″ senior guard Isaiah Thompson, a Purdue transfer, leads the team in scoring at 13.4 points per game. 6’7″ forward Zach Anderson is averaging 12.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Former Stetson guard Chase Johnston transferred within the conference this past off-season and is currently third on the team in scoring, averaging 11.4 points per game for the Eagles.
Here’s everything you need to know for Saturday’s matchup:
How to Watch – Liberty Flames (17-5, 8-1) vs FGCU (14-8, 4-5)
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 28, 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 86 percent chance to win the game with a predicted score of 70-58.
- ESPN’s Basketball Power Index currently gives Liberty a 90.9 percent chance to win the game.
Previous Matchup
- Liberty leads the all-time series, 5-1.
- The Flames’ only loss came in the prior meeting, with the Eagles getting the win, 82-72, in overtime at Liberty Arena on Feb. 23, 2022.
- Tavian Dunn-Martin scored 43 points to lead FGCU in the win while Darius McGhee scored 28 points and was just 3 of 15 from three point range.
Probable Starters
Stat Leaders (2022 Season)
Liberty:
- Points: Darius McGhee – 20.9 PPG
- Rebounds: Joseph Venzant – 5.4 RPG
- Assists: Colin Porter – 4.1 APG
Ritchie McKay Press Conference Pre-FGCU
