Liberty improved to 13-0 with a 66-54 win over Towson in the first round of the DC Holiday Hoops Fest Tournament. The Flames will now face Akron in the championship game on Saturday, Dec. 21, at the Entertainment & Sports Arena.

Turning Point

It was a game of runs in the first half as both teams had two runs of at least nine points or more. Towson would take the lead at the break after going on a 12-2 run to end the first half, taking the 30-25 lead. Liberty turned up its defense in the second half as they did not allow Towson to score for nearly five and a half minutes while the Flames went on an 11-0 run. Late in the game, Liberty went on a 16-3 run as the Flames took away the three-point line, forcing the Tigers to shoot 30 percent (6-20) throughout the game. Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz sparked Liberty's offense in the second half, scoring 10 of his 15 points in the second half. Scottie James was a force down low in the post, recording 12 pints, six rebounds and three assists.

Key Stats & Notes

• Liberty is 13-0 for the first time in school history and is on the longest winning streak in school history.
• Liberty is the only team in the country with 13 wins.
• After recording three rebounds, Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz is now No. 50 on Liberty's all-time rebounding list with 287 career rebounds.
• Pacheco-Ortiz led all scorers with a season-high 16 points.
• Liberty shot 69 percent (9-13) from the free-throw line, while Towson shot just 43 percent (6-14) from the line.
• Liberty shot 53 percent in the second half, while holding Towson to just 41 percent.
• Liberty scored 10 second chance points, while limiting Towson to four points.
• Myo Baxter-Bell led all bench players with eight points to go along with three rebounds and two assists.

Thoughts from Head Coach Ritchie McKay

"Our struggles were evident (in the first half), and I told the guys in the locker room that our words of positivity and belief and inspiring words to one another was led by Georgie, Scottie, Myo and Caleb. To get back to form in the second half really impressed me. We have to expect to get everyone's best shot because our name is still on the undefeated map and we anticipated that. Towson plays really hard and is very well-coached. We knew what was at stake and I am just glad we got back to our identity."

Up Next

Liberty will close out the D.C. Holiday Hoops Fest Tournament facing Akron. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. and can be seen on FloHoops TV.