Liberty (13-6, 4-0) took a few minutes to get going but then took care of Jacksonville (10-7, 3-1), coasting to an 88-49 win. With the win, the Flames extend the second longest active win streak in the country to 44.

“I loved the way our guys shared the ball tonight,” said Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay. “I thought we were very detailed on both ends of the floor. When you shoot it like that, it makes the game a lot easier. We have a ton of respect and we had a ton of respect for Jacksonville going in because of how stout their defense has been. I think our guys, after a slow start, we just tried to take what they gave us. We saw a couple of them go in. I think it gave us a little bit of confidence. The score is not indicative of how tough of an opponent they are. They are going to be a factor in this league.”

Sitting at 3-0 in ASUN play, the Dolphins were intent on having a strong performance against the three-time defending conference champions. They had the energy at the beginning of the game and jumped out to a 16-5 advantage by the second media timeout. That was until Liberty got heated up.

The Flames went on an extended 32-9 run that spanned nearly nine minutes of the first half to take control of the game. Liberty entered the locker room at halftime with a 40-30 lead, and it would only grow from there in the second stanza.

“We have a few coaches that wear uniforms,” McKay said of his team’s poise when trailing early. “Kyle Rode being as good as I’ve ever seen at directing the team. Keegan McDowell, Blake Preston, good to have him back. We got behind against East Carolina, against Northern Iowa, we realize it’s a long game. That’s not usually going to break our spirits because of our maturity and the growth of our group.”

Quick-turnaround for the Flames, who now head on the road to take on the upstart Kennesaw State Owls on Thursday at 7 p.m. on ESPN+. Liberty will play its second undefeated team in conference play as KSU has opened ASUN play at 3-0.

Here are our three main takeaways from today’s game:

NATION’S TOP SCORING DEFENSE?

Jacksonville entered the game against the Flames as the top scoring defense in the country, holding opponents to 54.5 points per page. In the opening moments it looked like the Dolphins would continue that stellar play on the defensive end for another night as Liberty missed its first seven field goals, including its first six from behind the arc.

That would not be the case. Liberty rebounded to make 13 of its last 17 field goals and seven of nine from three to close the half. The Flames would score 40 points in the first half, the most points Jacksonville has allowed in a first half this season besting the 33 points NAIA Coastal Georgia scored. It was also the most points JU has allowed in any half this season, as they previously surrendered 38 against Pittsburgh in the second half.

Liberty would end up scoring more points against Jacksonville than any team this season, topping the 69 Georgia scored against the Dolphins midway through the second half. The Flames would finish the game shooting 61.9% from the field and 16 of 27 from three (59.3%).

“I told our guys, that was impressive,” said McKay of the team’s offensive exploits. “I told Coach Mincy, that was probably the best we have played all season long. I think they brought that out of us. Coming into the game, hearing all the stuff about being a defensive minded program like us, I think we knew it was going to be a tough challenge for us and it was.”

DARIUS MCGHEE CONTINUES HIS ONSLAUGHT

After scoring a Liberty program record 48 points on Saturday night at Florida Gulf Coast, Darius McGhee continued his stellar play against Jacksonville. The reigning ASUN Player of the Year poured in 27 points in just 23 minutes. He made 7 of 11 field goals and 6 of 9 from three while knocking down all 7 of his free throws. He has made 44 of his last 45 free throw attempts.

“He’s not Steph Curry, but what he does for our team is Steph Curry-esque,” McKay said of McGhee. “I think I can say that because Steph is my favorite player and I coached his brother. I’m telling you, you’re missing out if you don’t come see us live because he is a special player.”

KEEGAN MCDOWELL JOINS THE SCORING PARTY

McGhee wasn’t the only one that got in on the scoring exploits. Keegan McDowell knocked down 7 three pointers, a new career high, to tie his career high in scoring with 21 points. McDowell only missed two triples and he and Darius scored over 20 points, marking the first time this season Liberty has had two players eclipse the twenty point plateau. This came one game after McDowell was held scoreless against FGCU and was 0 for 4 from the field.

“I think we have a ton of guys that do a lot of stuff on offense,” said McDowell. “It doesn’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet. Last game wasn’t necessarily a game that I took a lot of shots or made a lot of shots and tonight was. It’s just playing against what the defense gives us and playing to our strengths.”