LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty picked up its fifth straight win, defeating visiting FIU 58-45 on Saturday afternoon inside Liberty Arena.
The Flames improve to 22-5 overall and 10-4 in Conference USA. Liberty bolsters its CUSA home mark to 11-2 and holds a 5-2 record in league home games. FIU slips to 8-19 overall and 2-12 in CUSA following its fourth straight loss. The Panthers (0-7) are still looking for their first CUSA road victory and fall to 1-11 overall on the road during the 2024-25 season.
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Liberty’s 45 points allowed are its fewest to a Division I foe this year. The Flames’ defense held FIU nearly 26 points below its season scoring average (70.8 ppg) coming in.
Flames redshirt senior Taelon Peter led the way with a game-high 14 points and game-best six boards. Kaden Metheny (12 points) and Jayvon Maughmer (11 point, five rebounds) joined Peter in double figures. Colin Porter added eight points and a game-high-tying four steals.
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Taelon Peter 14 points, 4-5 FT, 6 rebounds, 2 steals; Kaden Metheny 12 points, 4-8 3FG; Jayvon Maughmer 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks; Zander Yates 9 points, 3-4 3FG; Colin Porter 8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals
FIU Individuals: Jayden Brewer 12 points, 10 rebounds; Vianney Salatchoum 10 points, 5 rebounds
Key Team Stats: Liberty finished the game shooting 42.6 percent (20-of-47) from the field, 38.7 percent (12-of-31) from three-point territory and 66.7 percent (6-of-9) from the foul line. The Flames defense held FIU to 37 percent shooting (20-of-54) from the field and 8.3 percent (1-of-12) from long distance. The Panthers were 4-of-5 (80 percent) from the foul line. Liberty assisted on 15 of 20 made baskets, led by Zach Cleveland’s six assists. FIU only had eight assists on its 20 makes. The Panthers held edges in rebounding (32-29) and points in the paint (34-16). Liberty forced 16 FIU turnovers, which it converted into 25 points. The Flames turned the ball over a season-high 18 times, which the Panthers converted into 18 points. The Liberty bench held a sizeable 25-9 scoring advantage, paced by Taelon Peter (14 points) and Zander Yates (nine points). The Flames are 16-2 this season when their bench outscores the opposing bench.
Turning Point
Two crucial runs, one in each half, separated the Flames from the Panthers. Liberty and FIU were knotted 19-19 with 6:47 remaining in the first half, but the Flames finished on an 11-0 run to close the frame and take a 30-19 lead into the break. Jayvon Maughmer and Taelon Peter spearheaded the run, with Maughmer scoring back-to-back buckets to push the lead to 25-19 at the 4:33 mark. Peter hit a three-pointer at the 3:37 mark and knocked down 2-of-3 free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt at the 2:52 mark.
The Panthers got within seven, 43-36, with 10:28 remaining in the game following an 8-2 run. However, Liberty responded with a 13-2 run of its own over the next 7:01 to take its biggest lead of the game, 56-38, with 3:27 left. The Liberty defense held FIU to only one made field goal (1-of-9) during that span.
Key Stats & Notes
· Liberty completes the regular season sweep of FIU, winning the two matchups by a combined 36 points. The Flames have now swept three regular season series in CUSA play (FIU, Sam Houston and New Mexico State) this year.
· The Flames are 8-1 in their last nine games. During that stretch, Liberty is averaging 69.6 ppg on 47.3 percent shooting while holding their counterparts to 60.1 ppg on 39.6 percent shooting.
· Taelon Peter (14 points) has paced the Flames in scoring in eight of the last 11 games. Peter is the team’s leading scorer at 13.1 ppg. Peter has scored in double figures in 11 of his last 12 contests.
· Today’s sellout attendance of 4,000 was the biggest home crowd of the season and ranks No. 8 in program history for attendance at Liberty Arena.
· Liberty is one of 16 teams in the nation with 22 or more wins. The Flames have won 22 or more games in seven of the last eight years.
· The Flames knocked down 12 three-pointers tonight and have connected on 26 triples over the last two games.
· Zander Yates provided a boost off the bench with nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc in only 7:34 of action. He was a +9 on the afternoon. Yates is shooting 43.8 percent from long distance on the season and has hit multiple triples in three of his last five games.
· Liberty’s 58 points were a season low. It is also the fewest points in a home win since a 52-47 victory over Lipscomb in the ASUN Championship quarterfinals on March 3, 2022.
· Zach Cleveland (six assists) notched his 12th game of the year with five or more assists.
Up Next
The Flames will host CUSA Jacksonville State (18-9, 10-4 CUSA) on Thursday evening in what will be a battle for first place in the league standings. Tip time is 7 p.m. from Liberty Arena and can be seen on ESPN+.
Liberty fell 72-61 to Jax State in the first meeting, Feb. 1.