Liberty University Athletics issued the following announcement on Dec. 2
For the first time in program history Liberty men’s basketball welcomed an SEC opponent to town, as the Missouri Tigers entered Liberty Arena full of 4,005 fans, Liberty’s second straight sellout. From start-to-finish Liberty controlled the game, defeating Mizzou, 66-45, for the Flames’ 39th straight win at home. Liberty improves to 4-3 this season while Mizzou drops to 4-4.
First Half
Defense and the three-point shot sparked Liberty’s hot start as the Flames jumped out to an 18-5 lead nine minutes into the game. During that run, 12 of Liberty’s first 18 points came from the three-point line led by Keegan McDowell with a pair of three-pointers. Liberty’s defense frustrated Mizzou’s offense all throughout the first half, forcing 15 turnovers, which led to 12 points for Liberty. Darius McGhee (11 points) and McDowell (10 points) led the way for Liberty in the first half, combining for 21 of Liberty’s 35 points. The Flames went into the break with a 35-14 lead over Missouri.
Second Half
Liberty would maintain the 21-point lead it started with in the second half, as the Flames and Mizzou each scored 31 points in the latter half. Liberty continued to attack on offense from all different angles, as eight different players scored for Liberty in the second half led by McGhee’s nine points in the final 20 minutes. Liberty’s defense continued to stifle the Tigers on offense, forcing Mizzou to shoot 39 percent from the field. Shiloh Robinson stepped up in the second half scoring eight points to go along with a rebound.
Key Stats & Notes
- Liberty won its 39th straight home game, the second longest active winning streak at home in the country.
- Darius McGhee scored a game-high 20 points.
- McGhee recorded a game-high four assists.
- Liberty forced 19 turnovers, which led to 18 points for the Flames.
- Liberty shot 48 percent from the field (24-50) while holding Missouri to 28 percent (14-49).
- Liberty outscored Missouri 26-16 inside the paint.
- Liberty’s bench outscored Missouri’s bench 16-10.
- For the second straight game, Shiloh Robinson scored a career-high in points, scoring 15 points against Missouri.
- For the first time in his career, Keegan McDowell has scored double-figures in three straight games as he scored 12 points against Missouri.
“I am just going to give thanks. First to our Lord and Savior and secondly, I think this is a ‘mustard seed’ game. To see our arena full, sold out and to have a quality opponent that we have, I think of all of the guys that have gone before these young men. When we first got here, we had a belief; Ephesians 3:20 and we just had a belief that if we committed to the process and tried to honor that, then something good was going to happen and this was evidence of that. Our defensive effort was excellent, that was as well as we’ve played defensively for 40 minutes, including our scrimmages.”
Up Next
Liberty will wrap up its two-game homestand on Tuesday, Dec. 6, when the Flames host Delaware State. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+.
Original source can be found here.
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