LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty concluded its non-conference segment of the schedule with a 79-56 victory over the visiting UT Arlington, Saturday afternoon at Liberty Arena.
The Flames improve their record to 12-1 and 6-0 on home turf following their ninth straight triumph. In contrast, the Mavericks fall to 6-7 for the season and 1-4 in away games after managing only a season-low of 56 points with a shooting percentage of just 31.4 percent (22-of-70).
Liberty’s
Kaden Metheny was the standout scorer with a game-high of 25 points, making 7-of-13 attempts from beyond the arc.
Zach Cleveland (18 points, 10 rebounds) achieved his initial career double-double, while
Taelon Peter contributed an additional 18 points. Lance Ware of the Mavericks recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, leading the visitors.
Box Score Highlights Liberty Individuals: Kaden Metheny 25 points, 7-13 3FG, 5 assists, 4 rebounds;
Zach Cleveland 18 points, 10 rebounds;
Taelon Peter 18 points, 7-11 FG;
Jayvon Maughmer 8 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals;
Owen Aquino 4 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 blocks;
Colin Porter 3 points, 8 assists, 2 steals
UT Arlington Individuals: Lance Ware 15 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals; Raysean Seamster 10 points, 5-8 FG, 4 rebounds
Key Team Stats: Liberty shot 52.9 percent (27-of-51) from the field and improves to 8-0 this season when shooting 50 percent or better. The Flames were effective from three-point range, sinking 15-of-32 attempts (46.9 percent). Meanwhile, UT Arlington struggled with their shooting, marking a season-low of 31.4 percent (22-of-70) and had difficulties from the three-point line with only 10 percent success (2-of-20). Liberty assisted on 24 of their 27 made field goals, while the Mavericks managed only four assists on their 22 made shots. UTA had an edge in rebounding, leading 39-34, and dominated offensively on the glass with 18 offensive rebounds, resulting in 13 second-chance points. The Flames’ bench outscored the UTA bench 23-18, spearheaded by
Taelon Peter’s 18 points.
Turning Point Momentum shifts occurred with two significant runs, one in each half, enabling the Flames to distance themselves from the Mavericks. Liberty initially surged to an 18-7 advantage before a response from UT Arlington with an 11-1 run narrowed the margin to 19-18 with 8:07 left in the first period. Liberty then dominated the remainder of the half with a 20-4 run, securing a solid 39-22 lead, while UTA could only manage 1-of-12 shooting to close the half.
In the second half, UTA netted nine of the first 14 points, reducing the deficit to 13 at 44-31 with 13:49 to go. The Flames broadened their lead to 21 points at 63-42 with 8:16 remaining. After a UTA basket brought the score to 63-44, Liberty responded with a 10-0 run, escalating their lead to an impressive 29 points (73-44). Highlights included
Taelon Peter’s dunk (6:05 mark) during a fast break and
Kaden Metheny’s layup (5:40 mark) finishing the surge.
Key Stats & Notes - Kaden Metheny’s 25 points mark his highest output in a Liberty uniform. His prior best as a Flame was 22 points against Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 7. Metheny’s personal record is 29 points, established against Eastern Michigan on Feb. 23, 2021, while he was at Bowling Green. The guard enjoyed a game-best +34 in 33:25 of play.
- Metheny’s seven three-pointers today are his peak as a Flame.
- Zach Cleveland achieved 18 points and 10 rebounds, marking his first career double-double. The junior added two assists, one steal, and one block.
- Liberty’s 12-1 start is its finest since the 2019-20 campaign when the Flames began the season 14-0. Their only non-conference loss occurred against Florida Atlantic, 77-74 in overtime on Nov. 16.
- The Flames’ defense limited the Mavericks to a season-low of 56 points, which is 10 points below their previous season minimum. UTA’s former low was 66 points against Murray State.
- During Liberty’s current nine-game triumph stretch, they are averaging 83.8 ppg while conceding 56.3 ppg. Liberty boasts a shooting rate of 53.8 percent from the floor during this period.
- Taelon Peter is currently averaging 24.0 ppg across his last two matches.
- Colin Porter distributed a game-high eight assists. Jayvon Maughmer collected eight rebounds, matching his second-best total of the season, alongside eight points.
- Owen Aquino equaled a season-high with five blocks and added four points, four rebounds, and four assists.
Up Next
Liberty will resume play on Jan. 2 to commence Conference USA competition. The Flames will welcome the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (9-3) for their inaugural CUSA match of the season.
Last season, both teams evenly split their matchups. Liberty secured an 82-79 win against WKU at Liberty Arena on Senior Day (March 9, 2024) and narrowly lost 70-68 to the Hilltoppers in their debut CUSA game (Jan. 6, 2024).