Hoops Time: Flames, Lady Flames kick off 2025-26 season with home wins 

With the 2025-26 basketball season tipping off this week, Liberty University’s Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams will look to replicate last year’s success on the court, where both squads took home their first CUSA crowns. 

The Flames, led by 13th-year Head Coach Ritchie McKay, opened the new season on Monday with a 98-57 thrashing of Kentucky Christian at Liberty Arena. Sophomore guard Brett Decker Jr. led the team with a career-high 29 points in his first career start. Senior forward Zach Cleveland (13 points, 10 rebounds) notched his second career double-double, and redshirt senior guard JJ Harper (11 points) and redshirt freshman forward Ryan Jones Jr. (10 points) both reached double figures in their Liberty debuts. 

The Flames were voted the CUSA preseason favorite. The team earned a 28-6 record last season and won its first 2025 CUSA Championship to punch its first ticket to the Big Dance since 2021. No. 12 Liberty fell to No. 5 Oregon in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. 

It was recently announced that Washington Wizards forward Anthony Gill is serving as the team’s chief basketball advisor, a new role created to further promote student-athlete development. 

This year, the Flames will take on an exciting non-conference schedule, with games against Charleston, Florida Atlantic, Dayton, ACC opponent NC State, and more. 

The Lady Flames opened their season Tuesday night with a dominant 78-49 victory over Frostburg State University, outrebounding the Bobcats 46-25. Sophomore Emmy Stout recorded a double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds) and began a 21-0 second quarter run that broke the game open. 

The Lady Flames now have a tough three-game stretch coming up against East Carolina, James Madison, and Duke. 

The 2025-26 campaign marks the first without longtime Head Coach Carey Green, who retired in August after 26 years at the helm. Liberty is now led by Head Coach Alexis Sherard, who served for 18 years as an assistant with Green. 

The Lady Flames also welcomed some new faces this season; seven players were wearing the Liberty uniform for the first time on Tuesday. 

In his new role, Sherard will look in part to the leadership of junior forward Elisabeth Aegisdottir, who started every game for last season’s conference championship team, as well as Stout and sophomore Avery Mills. Mills and Stout were each voted to the 2025 CUSA All-Freshman Team. 

The Lady Flames were picked second in the CUSA preseason poll. They will host preseason CUSA favorite Louisiana Tech on Jan. 11 in a contest that will be nationally televised on ESPNU. 

The women’s squad dominated conference play last season with a 16-2 record. The No. 13 Lady Flames narrowly lost a 79-78 thriller to No. 4 Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. 

The Lady Flames currently boast a 66-9 all-time record at Liberty Arena since its opening in 2020. The men’s team holds a 70-10 record on its home court.

Fans can purchase single game tickets for both men’s and women’s basketball games at Liberty.edu/Tickets. While season tickets for the men’s games are currently sold out, Liberty is offering mini-plan ticket packages with big savings. Fans can still purchase season tickets to watch the Lady Flames.