Liberty (11-6, 0-2) lost to Jacksonville State (10-7, 2-0), 61-51, in front of 2,384 fans at Liberty Arena in Lynchburg, Virginia on Wednesday night.

“Jax State played a terrific game,” said Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay. “They deserved to win. Really impressed with the change they made from one season to the next. They have a connected team that presents a lot of problems with their length and athleticism.”

The Flames struggled to just 21 points on 30% shooting in the first half, the lowest scoring half for the team this season. Liberty went 7 minutes and 29 seconds without scoring in the first half, allowing the Gamecocks to go on a 12-0 spurt to grab the lead. Liberty did have two goal-tending baskets wiped off in the first half.

It was more of the same in the second half, with Jacksonville State pushing the lead to as many as 15. Liberty attempted to cut into the lead but couldn’t string together enough stops and scores to get much closer.

Kaden Metheny led the Flames in scoring with 15 points but made just 2 of 9 three pointers while Kyle Rode added 12 points on 3 of 13 shooting from behind the arc. Liberty was 9 of 34 for 26.5% from three for the game and made just 34% of its field goals.

The Flames hit the road for a game Sunday at Louisiana Tech with tip off scheduled for 3 p.m. ET and televised on ESPN2. The Bulldogs are currently 10-6 overall and 0-1 in conference play having lost at Sam Houston, 81-77, this past Saturday. Louisiana Tech is back in action on Thursday at Middle Tennessee.

LU STARTS 0-2 IN CUSA

Liberty has entered its new conference home with an 0-2 start to begin CUSA play. It’s the first time the Flames have dropped its first two conference games of the season since Coach McKay’s first season back at Liberty, during the 2015-16 campaign. The Flames dropped back-to-back league games only two times in five years in the ASUN.

The Flames also dropped the game at Liberty Arena, falling to 6-2 on its home floor this season. Liberty is 51-6 all-time on its home floor since moving into Liberty Arena during the 2020-21 season. Jacksonville State is now the first team to beat the Flames twice in the new venue, as they ended Liberty’s unblemished mark at Liberty Arena on Jan. 29, 2022.

“Everybody around this program is used to winning, especially at home,” said McKay. “This is different for us. It’s hard, but that’s the way you get better. That’s the way growth and opportunities exist. I think we will grow from it.”

FLAMES CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE FROM THE FIELD

During the team’s early run in non-conference play, Liberty was very efficient on offense. The Flames were able to carve up defenses both in the paint and beyond the arc. The size from the opposition didn’t seem to bother team, as they defeated teams much larger than them including Charlotte and Wichita State.

Ever since the trip to Florida to take on FAU and Charleston, that script seems to have changed. Now, everyone is making it much more difficult on the Flames, utilizing their size and length to their advantage and switching on all screens. It has led to the team struggling to shoot and also struggle to score points.

Wednesday night against Jacksonville State, the Flames were held to its season low in points for a game with 51 while shooting just 9 of 34 from three and 34% from the field for the game.

“We will keep shooting them, that’s part of our game plan, part of our strength. Everybody has the same game plan against us,” said McKay. “Whether or not we can penetrate it, finish it at the rim…we haven’t been finishing our two’s, that can really get to you if you can’t finish at close range.”

IT’S ONLY JANUARY

Yes the team has lost two straight to open conference play and has now lost three straight against Division I opponents, but a reminder that it is still early in January. There is a long ways to go in this season. The bottom line is there’s only one week in March that ultimately matters for the team’s NCAA Tournament aspirations. Finding itself along the way is part of the process.

“This is part of the game, it is part of the season,” McKay noted. “When it’s going well and everyone is praising you, that is great, but when it’s not going so well and people lose confidence or doubt, that’s not going to be our locker room. Our locker room is going to continue to pursue it hard, stay together. We are going to be who we are. It’s incumbent upon me to make the necessary changes that we need to make to give ourselves a better chance to win. We will see what necessitates that after we watch the game film.”