JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Liberty opened the ASUN Tournament with a matchup against the No. 8 seed, Kennesaw State, in the ASUN Quarterfinals, Thursday afternoon at UNF Arena. After being all squared at 23 at halftime, Liberty regrouped in the second half to defeat the Owls 69-59. Liberty improves to 21-5 this season and advances to the ASUN Semifinals.
First Half
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Liberty started the game cold from the field, shooting 5-20 in the first 13 minutes of the game, as Kennesaw State took an early 16-10 lead. Liberty’s defense kept them in the ball game, forcing Kennesaw State to commit nine turnovers in the first half. Liberty ended the half, outscoring the Owls 13-7 to go into halftime tied at 23-23. Kennesaw State ended the half shooting 43.5 percent while Liberty struggled, shooting 28.6 percent.
Second Half
Liberty’s offense picked up the pace to open the second half, going on a 16-4 run in the first seven and a half minutes of the half sparked by Kyle Rode scoring 10 of the 16 points during that run. Liberty held Kennesaw State scoreless for six minutes as Liberty extended its lead to double digits. Liberty’s offense got back on track in the latter half, shooting 62.5 percent from the field, led by Rode’s 12 second half points.
Key Stats & Notes
- Elijah Cuffee won his 102nd career game at Liberty, tying for the most wins in program history along with Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz.
- Liberty extends its winning streak to 10 games.
- Darius McGhee became the 30th player in program history to score 1,000 career points.
- KSU’s Spencer Rodgers came into the game averaging 16.8 points per game and Liberty held Rodgers to four points.
- Liberty’s bench outscored Kennesaw State’s 15-0.
- Kyle Rode’s 15 points is the most he has scored against an ASUN opponent in his career.
- Liberty’s defense forced Kennesaw State to commit 15 turnovers, which led to 15 points for Liberty.
Thoughts from Head Coach Ritchie McKay
“Very fortunate to advance to the next round. Postseason play is always really difficult. I anticipated maybe being a little nervous; only Elijah (Cuffee) and Darius (McGhee) have had much postseason experience and I thought those two and Kyle (Rode) weathered the storm.”
For the second consecutive season, Liberty will face Stetson in the ASUN Semifinals on Friday at 2pm.