The Liberty Flames (14-4, 2-3 CUSA) are back in action on Saturday night at Liberty Arena against New Mexico State (11-6, 4-0) to continue conference play.
Here’s what you need to know about the game:
Liberty vs New Mexico State How to Watch
7 p.m. ET | Saturday, Jan 18
Lynchburg, VA | Liberty Arena
TV: ESPN+
Liberty vs New Mexico State Odds (KenPom)
Spread: Liberty -7
Projected score: Liberty 69, New Mexico State 62
Liberty Projected Starters
#0 Colin Porter
Junior Guard | 5’10”, 170
8.1 ppg, 4.3 apg, 45.5% from 3
#3 Kaden Metheny
R-Senior Guard | 5’11”, 170
13.8 ppg, 43.0% from 3
#32 Jayvon Maughmer
Senior Guard | 6’6″, 205
9.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg
#25 Zach Cleveland
Junior Forward | 6’7″, 220
11.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 5.1 apg
#8 Owen Aquino
Junior Forward | 6’8″, 230
9.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.2 bpg
Liberty vs New Mexico State History
Series tied at 1 with both teams winning on their home floor last season.
Liberty vs New Mexico State Storylines
FLAMES NEED BOUNCE BACK WIN
Liberty has dropped two straight for the first time this season and have posted two home losses in conference play. While nothing is a must win game in January, the Flames do need a good performance and to get back in the win column before hitting the road for three straight.
“The character in our room won’t change,” Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay said following the loss to UTEP Thursday night. “We might lose a little bit of confidence. We’ve lost two in a row now for the first time this season. We haven’t won the close one in the last two or three opportunities.”
There are no easy nights in Conference USA and most games will be decided in the final few minutes with execution being critical in crunch time. Being behind the 8-ball with two home losses will be tough to overcome for the Flames to compete for a conference championship. The door for that chase isn’t closed yet but the opening is getting smaller.
“This is a process oriented group,” McKay said. “We will watch the film and try to quickly transition to the Aggies. We will have a quick turn and got to get prepared. They’ve obviously done some good things.”
NMSU ALONE IN FIRST PLACE
The Aggies have been the surprise of the first few weeks of conference play as they are currently the only team unbeaten in league play, sitting alone in first place at 4-0. New Mexico State was picked to finish 7th in the preseason poll coming off a 7-9 conference finish a season ago where they were eliminated in the CUSA Quarterfinals against eventual conference champ Western Kentucky.
Under second year head coach Jason Hooten, NMSU had a rough non-conference slate, as they fell to 3-5 by early December after dropping five straight including three against teams ranked 200 or worse. They would pick up a nice win on the road at rival New Mexico before falling to Texas, but since then the Aggies have won seven straight to have the nation’s 8th longest active win streak. This includes four straight wins to open CUSA play, as they defeated Sam Houston and Louisiana Tech at home before going on the road to win their last two at UTEP and FIU.
Of note, the Aggies beat preseason favorite La Tech by 30, 78-48, and dominated UTEP, who is currently 3-1 in conference play, by a margin of 28 points. They are playing the best basketball of any team in the conference and will be coming into Liberty Arena feeling confident and expecting to win. NMSU is also the only team to post two road wins so far in conference play.
ROBERT CARPENTER TO MEET THE FLAMES FOR FIRST TIME SINCE PUNCH
It’s been a long time since the February 1, 2024 meeting between Liberty and New Mexico State, but you may remember the incident between the two teams when NMSU’s Robert Carpenter punched Liberty’s Shiloh Robinson when the two got tangled up in the paint battling for position for a potential rebound. Carpenter would go on to be suspended for the remainder of the season by the Aggies after that incident and he did not make the return trip to Lynchburg when the two teams meet again on Feb. 29 at Liberty Arena.
Well, Carpenter is still with the Aggies. The 6’7″ senior forward is having a really good campaign so far, and posted 17 points in the win over Louisiana Tech and then 17 points in the win at UTEP. He’s averaging 11.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game the is season for NMSU.
