Liberty Defeats Stetson on Senior Day

Flames grab 77-49 win over the Hatters

LYNCHBURG, Va. – In front of the second largest crowd at the Vines Center this year of 6,762 fans, Liberty delivered quite the offensive performance with a 77-49 win on Senior Day over Stetson. Liberty improves to 26-3 overall and 12-2 in the ASUN Conference while Stetson drops to 15-14 and 9-5 in the ASUN.

First Half

Liberty got off to an exceptional start on offense, making seven of the team’s first 10 field goal attempts while holding Stetson to 2-10 from the field. Midway through the half, Liberty went on a 10-0 run in just under two minutes, sparked by a pair of three-pointers by Darius McGhee. Stetson was unable to make a field goal for over a six-minute span as the Flames went into the break with a 34-17 lead. Liberty ended the first half shooting 52 percent from the field, while holding the Hatters to just 27 percent and just five made field goals.

Second Half

After starting off slow on offense in the second half, Liberty got hot midway through the half going on an 18-0 run over a five-minute span, to take a 59-30 lead. Liberty was able to get Stetson in foul trouble early in the half, as they attempted 18 free throws in the second half as Mahamadou Diawara fouled out with 14 minutes left in the contest. Liberty’s defense continued to frustrate Stetson’s offense all night as they forced seven turnovers in the second half, which led to 14 points for the Flames. Caleb Homesley led the way in the latter half, scoring a game-high 14 points.

Key Stats & Notes

· Ritchie McKay won his 150th game as Liberty’s head coach.

· Liberty extends its school-record home winning streak to 20 games and improved to 14-0 this season.

· On Senior Day, Liberty’s four seniors combined for 51 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists.

· Liberty has now held an opponent to under 50 points 14 times this season.

· Caleb Homesley moved into sole possession of No. 12 on Liberty’s all-time scoring list with 1,444 career points, surpassing George Sweet.

· Liberty held Stetson to 17 points in the first half, the 11th time Liberty has held an opponent to under 20 points in a half this season.

· Stetson made five field goals in the first half, tied for the second fewest Liberty has allowed in a half this season (4 on Nov. 19, 2019 against Navy).

· Liberty outscored Stetson 32-16 inside the paint.

· Liberty scored 28 points off turnovers, while limiting Stetson to just one point.

Thoughts from Head Coach Ritchie McKay

"Tonight was special because those seniors have labored pretty hard to elevate the stature of our program and bring some light to the Kingdom of God and Liberty University. I am glad we got a chance to celebrate their efforts with a win. They are a special group of young men.”

Up Next

Liberty will hit the road for the final week of the regular season starting with Kennesaw State. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+.