Men’s Basketball Wins 77-53 Over Louisiana Tech University February 7

The Liberty University Men’s Basketball team kicked off the weekend with a 77-53 win over Louisiana Tech University Feb. 7, moving them to 6-4 in Conference USA.  

After going 2-1 in three road games where Head Coach Ritchie McKay broke the all-time winning record for head coaches at Liberty, Flames basketball returned to the Liberty Arena to face the Bulldogs.  

Liberty won the toss-up at the start of the game, giving the Flames a strong start. Junior forward Zach Cleveland scored the first points of the game with a layup assisted by junior forward Owen Aquino. From there, Liberty locked down Louisiana Tech’s offensive pushes and put up shot after shot. Junior point guard Colin Porter extended the Flames’ lead with a 3-pointer at the 8:42 mark, giving Liberty a 27-11 lead. The half ended with a buzzer beater slam dunk by Cleveland. 

“Colin Porter made a huge difference tonight,” McKay said. “People are going to dribble down on them and shoot over the top, and I thought they stood their ground pretty effectively tonight.”  

The second half was no different. Despite a 3-pointer from Louisiana Tech, Liberty successfully achieved a 10-0 stretch, extending its lead 63-41. Redshirt senior guard Taelon Peter scored seven of the unanswered points while Porter rounded it out with a 3-pointer. The Flames maintained a 19-point advantage over the Bulldogs throughout the latter half of the second, securing the victory.  

“When they’re missing shots, it’s easy to get out and run. When they’re making shots, they’re getting their defense set up every time, so when we’re able to get stops … that jump-starts our offense,” Cleveland said. “Getting easy baskets is a big part of it. When we can get those easy ones, … it really gives you a jump-start.”  

Liberty’s defense only allowed Louisiana Tech to put up 39.2% of their shots from the field and 23.1% from the 3-point line while forcing 16 turnovers — tied with the most forced in conference play by the Flames against Florida International University Jan. 25. Their offensive pushes resulted in an impressive 50% from the field and 52% from 3-point range. By the end of the game, Liberty conquered Louisiana Tech, moving the Flames up to tie for second in the CUSA standings.  

“Our defensive end has been an identity of our program … characteristically or historically throughout the last few years. We certainly feel like this team is pretty good with the selflessness that we play with,” McKay said. 

Redshirt senior Jayvon Maughmer joined many players in double-digit scoring with 11 points from his four baskets with three made from 3-point range. 

“Coach is always telling me to be confident. My teammates are always telling me to be confident and keep shooting because they know what I can do. … That’s what I did today, and it was really fun,” Maughmer said. 

Liberty will compete against Sam Houston State University on Feb. 8 at 4:00 p.m. in the Liberty Arena. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+. 

Warden is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.