Liberty (13-2, 1-1 CUSA) defeated the Blue Raiders (10-5, 1-1) with a final score of 73-63 to get their first Conference USA win of the season and hand MTSU their first CUSA loss, a meaningful win for the Flames in the conference race that has some real heavy hitters at the top of the standings
The Flames made their presence known in the first half, getting to the rim at a good rate and taking advantage of outside looks that opened up from collapsing defenders. Colin Porter and Kaden Metheny both showed off their quickness and knack for getting to their sports by blowing by defenders and hitting pull ups when their defenders got off balance. Zach Cleveland brought the gravity inside and put pressure on the rim with 9 first half points while dishing out 5 assists in the first period as well. Jlynn Counter for MTSU looked to get it going early in the game by hitting two tough early threes but cooled down after that for the rest of the period. The Flames took a 17 point lead into halftime.
For MTSU, Essam Mostafa did everything he could to be the biggest presence on the floor by making plays on defense while making strong finishes at the rim to get the Blue Raiders back in the game. Owen Aquino was the matchup against Mostafa for most of the night and the two went at each other repeatedly, both the kind of low post guys who make for great opposition.
MTSU also got some decent contributions from Justin Bufford and Camryn Weston, who scored 13 and 16 points respectively with Bufford blocking two shots and Weston getting a steal with a couple assists. The Blue Raiders had little help on the offensive side from their leading scorer on the season Jestin Porter who went 0-9 with 0 points.
Liberty moved the ball around well, notching 16 assists compared to MTSU’s 8. The rebound battle was hard fought and MTSU gained a slight edge there but the Flames did not flinch in the face of the physical attack of the Blue Raiders. In the pick and roll, the ball handlers for the Flames were able to gain leverage on defenders and produce good looks at the basket when help was not there. The critical factor in this game was the creation and instinct of LU’s guards, and that clicking into place made for a match that never left the grasp of the Flames and allowed them to play their game.
Kaden Metheny and Colin Porter led the way in scoring for this game, with Metheny racking up 19 points and Porter with 16. Their quickness and shooting touch was on full display in this one and it opened up the floor for the team. Owen Aquino hauled in 13 rebounds to go along with 9 points in what was a fun matchup with the bruisers for MTSU. This was a well rounded effort by this Flames squad that was paved by the play of these guards, who are always playing bigger than their stature.
Colin Porter and Zach Cleveland, guys who came in as freshman together in 2022, were running the show as the main offensive initiators for the Flames, a prime example of how they have performed as playmakers in their careers at Liberty. Hitting cutters and open shooters right in their hands is a regular thing, and gives the team high quality looks when they need them. Offense operated in a cyclical fashion that appealed to the eye test for the Flames, with shots being created from cutters and the team operating in relative harmony with their passing. The playmaking combo across positions makes for some real pretty basketball, and sometimes it’s good to take a moment to appreciate the unselfish and creative manner in which these players run the offense.
Liberty’s next opponent will be Sam Houston on Thursday 1/9. The Bearkats currently sit at the bottom of the early days standings for Conference USA, so the Flames will look to begin stacking wins as they march ahead into conference play.
