Men’s basketball beats Clarks Summit University in season opener

• Flames win while working to figure out how to mesh the playing time for old and new players.
• Coach McKay hopes to strengthen the Flames defense for the rest of the season.

The Liberty men’s basketball team started its season with an assertive 87-42 win over Clarks Summit University, as the Flames led the game for over 39 minutes in their opening match in the Vines Center Nov. 10.

Despite the Flames dominant performance, head coach Ritchie McKay said he still believes the Flames have a lot of areas to grow in as the season progresses.

“I thought there were some good things tonight on both ends of the floor. But I also thought – we need a lot of work,” McKay said. “We’re playing a lot of guys. That meshing process may not happen in the first month. It’s a process and I think we’re going to end up being really good, but we just looked okay tonight. This is a group that you haven’t seen the finished product yet, but I think once we get there we’ll have a chance to do something that we all want.”

The Flames starting five took control of the game on their first possession, as sophomore guard Georgie Pachecho-Ortiz dished the ball to senior guard Ryan Kemrite, who sunk a 3-pointer to give the Flames a lead that the Defenders were unable to cut for the remainder of the game.

Liberty was able to establish a strong lead thanks to its dominance in the paint. The Flames outscored Clarks Summit 46-14 in the paint and outrebounded the Defenders 36-28.

Junior forward Ezra Talbert set the tempo for the Flames as he recorded 13 points on seven attempts along with six rebounds.

“Anytime a shot goes up, an offensive board is an opportunity to get a second shot – that’s my mentality,” Talbert said.

Junior guard Lovell Cabbil also led the way for the Flames by posting 12 points, two assists and a team-high seven rebounds.

“I thought the team did a good job of putting me in a position to succeed,” Cabbil said. “The team made me look better than I really played. No one guy on the team is hunting his shot. We made a lot of extra passes, we had open shots, but guys were still looking to pass.”

Thanks to the Flames 25-4 lead less than eight minutes into the game, Liberty’s newcomers were able to get significant playing time in the season debut. Five of the Flames new additions showcased the depth they bring to the team, as they scored 41 of the team’s 46 bench points.

The Flames new additions include: freshman guard Elijah Cuffee, freshman guard Brody Hicks, transfer sophomore forward Scottie James, freshman guard Keegan McDowell, freshman center Brendan Newton and freshman forward Isaiah Williams.

“For two years, we’ve had a seven-man rotation,” McKay said. “In this group, they have some offensive balance that we can take advantage of. I’ve got confidence in the (new players.)”

Williams led the newcomers with 13 points and an assist.

“We have a lot of talent on this team,” Talbert said. “There’s not much of a drop-off between the first five and the second five. I see it every day in practice, so I know what they are capable of. For the first game, I thought they were really calm, and they didn’t let nerves get to them.”

Sophomore guard Caleb Homesley also saw nine minutes on the court, his first since tearing his ACL last season against Princeton University Dec. 10. Homesley recorded three points, three rebounds and two assists in his nine minutes of play.

“(Homesley) can do some things that no one else on our team can do with his size and versatility, so it’s good to see him coming in and getting a few minutes and getting his rhythm back,” Cabbil said.

Although McKay was satisfied with the team’s collaboration, his biggest criticism was the Flames defense.

“I really liked the team-ship that we played with, our unselfishness is really good,” McKay said.  “I just think we need to get a lot better defensively, and we got to get a lot better really quickly. The pack defense is a process that (requires) you to keep layering the details, and I don’t think we were very detailed tonight.”

The Flames will travel to Wake Forest University Tuesday, Nov. 14, and Liberty will return to the Vines center Friday, Nov. 17, against Mercer University at 12 p.m. Liberty will also host the Paradise Jam tournament from Nov. 18-19.