Top-seeded Liberty Flames basketball team set to host conference tournament play

The ASUN men’s basketball tournament begins Tuesday, March 3, when the 1-seeded Flames host 8-seeded NJIT in the Vines Center for the quarterfinal round. Because the Flames are the No. 1 seed, each game they play in the tournament will be played in the Vines.

Admission for students is free for the quarterfinals, while general admission is $10 and premium seats are $15.

If the Flames win Tuesday night’s game, they will move on to the semifinal game Thursday, March 5. Their opponent in the semifinals will be determined by the results of No. 4 Stetson and No. 5 North Alabama’s quarterfinal matchup.

And as far as the end of their regular season goes, the Flames 77-71 loss to Lipscomb Saturday may have made their tournament run smoother than expected. The Bisons were projected to take the No. 4 seed in the tournament, but are now the No. 3 seed after their win over Liberty.

A 4-seeded Lipscomb team would have had given Liberty a grueling tournament run. If Lipscomb had held onto its No. 4 spot, Liberty would have likely had to play both Lipscomb and North Florida in the tournament. 

However, after its win over Liberty, Lipscomb is now on the other side of the bracket. If Liberty reaches the finals, the Flames will only have to play the winner of the other half of the bracket (likely North Florida).

The Flames are the favorites for the tournament, and if they win, they will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row.

Baker is the sports editor. Follow her on Twitter.