Red-Hot Liberty Squad Takes Down MTSU at Murphy Center on Back of 29-Point Performance
Murfreesboro, Tenn.— On the back of one really impressive performance from a sixth-year senior guard, the Liberty Flames (18-3, 10-0 CUSA) breezed to an 81-65 victory in the Murphy Center on Thursday night.
The Flames started the game out hot on defense, limiting Middle Tennessee (11-9, 5-4 CUSA) to just fourteen percent from the field by the second media timeout. Liberty had an early lead of 14-6 and continued to cruise after that.
The three-ball accounted for 12 of Liberty’s first 22 points, ultimately leading to a 22-12 lead. Senior forward Zach Cleveland accounted for Liberty’s first five assists.
The offensive barrage from the visiting Flames would continue as the number one team in the CUSA proceeded to go on a 14-5 run, marked by some key turnovers by MTSU and precise ball movement from Liberty, which allowed for guard Ethan Metheny to knock down three consecutive three-point shots.
Middle Tennessee graduate guard Sean Smith broke up the run with a three-point jumper and was the Blue Raiders’ leading scorer at halftime with ten points.
“[I was] just taking whatever the defense gave me really,” Smith said, “I was getting catch and shoot shots so I was just taking what the defense was giving me and knocking them down.”
The Blue Raiders did bring some momentum into the half, lighting Murphy Center on fire with an electric block by Luka Jovanovic and a rim-rocking tip-in dunk from redshirt sophomore forward Torey Alston. MTSU’s best defensive moments came just before the break, and the palpable energy from the fans translated directly to the court.
Despite their late push, Middle Tennessee trailed by fourteen points at the half.
In the first twenty minutes, the Flames were shooting a blistering 69.2 percent from three and 64.0 percent from the field, only turning the ball over four times. Middle Tennessee, however, shot 23.5 percent from beyond the arc and 32.3 percent from the field. Liberty guard Kaden Metheny tied his career best against the Blue Raiders before the second half had even begun. Metheny, a sixth-year senior, had nineteen points, the same amount of points he had at the end of Liberty’s 73-63 win against MTSU last season.
The start of the second half was a good boxing match of runs, blow after blow. At the first media timeout, the two teams combined for 10-for-11 from the field. Kaden Metheny continued to wreak havoc on MTSU’s defense as he expanded his scoring total to 25 points in the first eight minutes of the half.
Tensions started to flare toward the middle of the second half after a few foul calls and some non-foul calls left Middle Tennessee head coach Nick McDevitt visibly frustrated on the sideline.
The Blue Raiders made a couple of short runs to cut Liberty’s lead down, but the Flames were able to consistently maintain a double-digit lead on the backs of Zach Cleveland and Kaden Metheny.
Metheny finished the night with 29 points, tying his career high. “Metheny was unbelievable tonight,” Middle Tennessee head coach Nick McDevitt said, “I mean he made some tough shots. Some shots that you’re like ‘We guarded that pretty well’… but for him, he makes them.”
The two-time All-CUSA selection singlehandedly ended the Blue Raiders’ hopes of an upset win in Murphy Center.
The Blue Raiders will be back in action on Saturday, January 31 against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (11-10, 4-6 CUSA).