Coach McKay Press Conference

Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz Press Conference

Scottie James Press Conference 

Liberty pulled out a gutsy 67-60 win over Lipscomb in the 2019 ASUN Championship rematch, Saturday night at the Vines Center. In front of a crowd of 6,008 fans, the Flames were led by Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz and Scottie James, who combined for 37 of Liberty's 67 points. Liberty improves to 19-1 and 5-0 in conference while Lipscomb drops to 7-11 overall and 2-4 in the ASUN.

Turning Point

It was a battle of Liberty's duo of Caleb Homesley and Scottie James against Lipscomb's Andrew Fleming and Michael Buckland in the first half as the foursome stole the show. Buckland (11 points) and Fleming (10 points) scored 21 of Lipscomb's 25 points in the first half, while Homesley (nine points) and James (10 points) combined for 19 of Liberty's 31 points. The Flames forced 10 Lipscomb turnovers in the first half that led to 12 points, as Liberty went into the break with a 31-25 lead.

After allowing Lipscomb to shoot 42 percent from three-point range in the first half, Liberty's defense tightened up in the second half, limiting the Bisons to just 36 percent from distance. On offense, Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz took over for the Flames, scoring 14 points in the second half to lead the Flames to victory. James was a monster on the glass, grabbing seven rebounds in the second half.

Key Stats & Notes

• Liberty became the second team in the country to reach 19 wins, joining Gonzaga.  
• Liberty has now won five straight games.
• Liberty won its 15^th straight game at home, one win away from tying the school record.
• Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz scored a season-high 21 points.
• Scottie James recorded his 24^th career double-double and fourth of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
• Liberty scored 24 points off Lipscomb turnovers while Lipscomb scored just four points off Flames turnovers
• Liberty outscored Lipscomb 26-20 inside the paint.
• This was Liberty's first win this season in which the opponent outshot Liberty from the field.
• Liberty had three players score in double figures in Pacheco-Ortiz (21 points), James (16 points) and Caleb Homesley (13 points).
• This was Liberty's first ASUN game where they won by single digits.

Thoughts from Head Coach Ritchie McKay

"Conference play is really hard, period. You'll click on a game on Saturday morning and see how tough it is, so hats off to Lipscomb. They battled tonight and had a terrific game plan; he (Lennie Acuff) is a great coach. I thought tonight was good for us to have a game that was highly competitive, and we had to make some plays and get some stops in order to be victorious."

Up Next

Liberty will head back on the road to face North Florida on Thursday, Jan. 23, to kick off its road trip. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+.