The Liberty Flames (17-5, 5-4 CUSA) are back in action on Thursday night against Louisiana Tech (16-6, 5-4) to continue conference play.
Here’s what you need to know about the game:
Liberty vs Louisiana Tech How to Watch
8 p.m. ET | Thursday, Feb 6
Lynchburg, Virginia | Liberty Arena
TV: CBS Sports Network
Liberty vs Louisiana Tech Odds (KenPom)
Spread: Liberty -7
Projected score: Liberty 69, Louisiana Tech 62
Liberty Projected Starters
#0 Colin Porter
Junior Guard | 5’10”, 170
8.9 ppg, 4.3 apg, 46.5% from 3
#3 Kaden Metheny
R-Senior Guard | 5’11”, 170
13.0 ppg, 39.4% from 3
#32 Jayvon Maughmer
Senior Guard | 6’6″, 205
8.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg
#25 Zach Cleveland
Junior Forward | 6’7″, 220
11.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.1 apg
#8 Owen Aquino
Junior Forward | 6’8″, 230
9.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.1 bpg
Liberty vs Louisiana Tech History
The Bulldogs lead the series, 2-1, with all three meetings happening since the Flames joined CUSA. Louisiana Tech defeated Liberty, 79-74, on Jan. 11 in Ruston, Louisiana in the first game of this year’s season series.
Liberty vs Louisiana Tech Storylines
TEAMS BEGIN 2ND HALF OF LEAGUE PLAY
This is the first game of the second half of conference play as everyone in CUSA now begins to play teams for a 2nd time. Liberty gets Louisiana Tech to open it up on the back half.
The Bulldogs were the preseason favorites in the conference with preseason Player of the Year Daniel Batcho. They currently sit as part of that six-team tie for third place in the conference standings at 5-4. Louisiana Tech has won three straight including a 66-61 overtime win on Saturday over Sam Houston.
It will be a rematch from last year’s game at Liberty Arena that was very entertaining. Kaden Metheny hit a three pointer in the closing seconds to lift the Flames to a 65-62 win.
FLAMES LOOKING FOR PAYBACK
Liberty will be looking to exact a bit of revenge on Thursday night against Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs defeated Liberty, 79-74, on January 11 in Ruston, Louisiana. Batcho went for 24 and 12 rebounds while point guard Sean Newman was dominant with 27 points and 8 assists. They also got some help from others in their supporting cast as Amaree Abram scored 13 and Sean Elkington had 12 off the bench.
“For the Bulldogs, they have the combination of Newman and Batcho that are very formidable,” said Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay. “I think it’s an equation that all the leagues’ coaches and all the leagues’ teams are trying to solve. It’s a difficult one. Hopefully we learned some things from last game. My hope is that we’ve improved since then. I think that game was mid-January, hopefully we are 20-some-odd days better.”
Taelon Peter’s 33 points weren’t enough as the Flames lost the lead after intermission. Liberty led by seven at halftime, but a 12-2 Louisiana Tech run in the early minutes of the second half put them in front and they were able to hold on for the win.
“They are a Division 1 basketball program that is (115th) in KenPom,” McKay said of the Bulldogs. “They are one of the top 33% teams in the country. They are really good. Abram hurt us a little bit. Ellington came in and I think he had 12 points in the game. They have other pieces and Coach Hester is a really good coach. I think each game you go into you are kinda picking your poison, but we are who we are defensively. You don’t see much trickeration from us. We just want to do what we do better. I think we’re on that path, hopefully it will show itself on Thursday.”
GOTTA WIN AT HOME
Thursday’s game is the first of two straight at Liberty Arena for the Flames and part of a stretch where Liberty will play five of seven on its home court. If the Flames are going to make a run at the CUSA regular season title, they must take care of business at home.
In the three games between Liberty and Louisiana Tech, the home team has won each game. The Bulldogs have also struggled away from home in conference play this season. They are 0-4 in games played on the road in CUSA; however, their last two road games were losses at Jacksonville State and Kennesaw State by two points each.
For the Flames, losses at home to Western Kentucky and UTEP by three combined points sting. Three road wins to this point in conference play have helped offset those losses, but additional setbacks at Liberty Arena will be difficult to overcome in a race for the regular season title.
“In this league, it’s probably not unlike any other league, you’ve got to protect your home court,” McKay said. “If you don’t hold serve there, then your task gets fairly arduous, and we’ve lost twice at home, all the more reason why this week’s games are really important to our cause.”
