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Friday, March 14
Huntsville, Ala.
12:30 PM ET/11:30 AM CT
Liberty University
27-6,13-5CUSA
81
vs
79
Kennesaw State
19-14,10-8CUSA
1
2
F
Kennesaw St.
40
39
79
Liberty
31
50
81
Liberty Stages 2nd Half Comeback to Down KSU 81-79 in CUSA Championship Semis
3/14/2025 4:40:00 PM | Men's Basketball
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Top-seeded Liberty staged a second half comeback to down No. 4 seed Kennesaw State by an 81-79 score in Friday afternoon's Conference USA Men's Basketball Championship semifinal round at Propst Arena.
The Flames, who trailed by as many as 14 in the first half and 13 in the second half, pick up win No. 27 on the year and improve to 27-6 overall on the season. The Owls drop to 19-14 and see their run at the CUSA Tournament come to an end.
Liberty will play in their first CUSA Championship title game on Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. Eastern against the winner of the other semifinal between No. 2 seed Jacksonville State (21-11) and No. 3 seed Middle Tennessee (22-10). The Flames will be appearing in their sixth conference tournament title game in the last eight years.
Flames guard Kaden Metheny led the way with a team-high 24 points and hit seven three-pointers, five of which came in the second half. Colin Porter had 15 points in the win, while Zach Cleveland (11 points, six assists) and Taelon Peter (11 points, six rebounds).
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Kaden Metheny 24 points, 8-14 FG, 7-13 3FG; Colin Porter 15 points, 6-9 FG, 5 assists; Zach Cleveland 11 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds; Taelon Perter 11 points, 6 rebounds; Owen Aquino 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks; Zander Yates 6 points, 6 rebounds
Kennesaw State Individuals: Adrian Wooley 28 points, 10-18 FG, 4-6 3FG, 4-4 FT, 7 rebounds, 5 assists; Braedan Lue 14 points, 6-10 FG, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks; Simeon Cottle 13 points, 8-10 FT; Frankquon Sherman 8 points, 9 rebounds
Key Team Stats: Liberty shot 50.9 percent (28-of-55) for the game, including 57.1 percent (16-of-28) in the second half. The Flames were 14-of-32 (43.8 percent) from long distance on the afternoon. Kennesaw State shot 48.1 percent (26-fof-54) for the day. The Liberty defense limited the Owls to 40 percent (10-of-25) in the second half after KSU shot 55.2 percent (16-of-29) in the first half. KSU was 15 of its first 23 from the field as well. Liberty led in assists (15-12), points off turnovers (10-2) and bench points. KSU held the edge in rebounding (35-29), points in the paint (34-28) and second chance points (14-10). Liberty led for only 3:08 of the 40 minutes. KSU led for 36:11.
Turning Point
Liberty trailed by as many as 14 (38-24, 3:54 mark) in the first half and was down by 13, 65-52, with 10:37 left. The Flames chipped away at the Kennesaw State lead, getting with seven (67-60) following a Kaden Metheny three with 8:18 remaining. Metheny hit another crucial triple at the 5:41 mark to get Liberty within four, 69-65. Following a Colin Porter layup with 5:16 left, Metheny buried another big three from about 35 feet out to get the Flames within one, 71-70, with 4:19 on the clock. On Liberty's next possession after the final media timeout, the defense got a stop, and Metheny drilled the go-ahead three with 3:30 left for a 73-71 advantage.
After KSU tied it up with 3:00 left on an Adrian Wooley layup, Metheny put Liberty back on top with another three, his seventh of the night, for a 76-73 edge with 2:38 left.
The Liberty defense came up with a pair of big stands in a row in the closing minute, capped off by a Taelon Peter steal and dunk with 29 seconds left to put the Flames up 79-75. Kennesaw State sliced the deficit to 80-78 with five seconds remaining following a pair of Simeon Cottle foul shots. The Flames' Peter split a pair of free throws with three ticks left. On the ensuing inbounds pass, the Flames fouled Cottle. Cottle made the first and missed the second intentionally, but the ensuing rebound tipped off an Owls player and went out of bounds. Liberty ran out the clock on the next pass inbounds to preserve the win.
Key Stats & Notes
Liberty will await the winner of this afternoon's game between No. 2 seed Jacksonville State (21-11) and No. 3 seed Middle Tennessee (22-10) in the 2025 CUSA Men's Basketball Championship title game. Tip time is 8:30 Eastern Saturday night from Propst Arena on CBS Sports Network.
Liberty split the regular season series with Jax State and swept a pair of games with MTSU.
The Flames, who trailed by as many as 14 in the first half and 13 in the second half, pick up win No. 27 on the year and improve to 27-6 overall on the season. The Owls drop to 19-14 and see their run at the CUSA Tournament come to an end.
Liberty will play in their first CUSA Championship title game on Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. Eastern against the winner of the other semifinal between No. 2 seed Jacksonville State (21-11) and No. 3 seed Middle Tennessee (22-10). The Flames will be appearing in their sixth conference tournament title game in the last eight years.
Flames guard Kaden Metheny led the way with a team-high 24 points and hit seven three-pointers, five of which came in the second half. Colin Porter had 15 points in the win, while Zach Cleveland (11 points, six assists) and Taelon Peter (11 points, six rebounds).
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Kaden Metheny 24 points, 8-14 FG, 7-13 3FG; Colin Porter 15 points, 6-9 FG, 5 assists; Zach Cleveland 11 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds; Taelon Perter 11 points, 6 rebounds; Owen Aquino 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks; Zander Yates 6 points, 6 rebounds
Kennesaw State Individuals: Adrian Wooley 28 points, 10-18 FG, 4-6 3FG, 4-4 FT, 7 rebounds, 5 assists; Braedan Lue 14 points, 6-10 FG, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks; Simeon Cottle 13 points, 8-10 FT; Frankquon Sherman 8 points, 9 rebounds
Key Team Stats: Liberty shot 50.9 percent (28-of-55) for the game, including 57.1 percent (16-of-28) in the second half. The Flames were 14-of-32 (43.8 percent) from long distance on the afternoon. Kennesaw State shot 48.1 percent (26-fof-54) for the day. The Liberty defense limited the Owls to 40 percent (10-of-25) in the second half after KSU shot 55.2 percent (16-of-29) in the first half. KSU was 15 of its first 23 from the field as well. Liberty led in assists (15-12), points off turnovers (10-2) and bench points. KSU held the edge in rebounding (35-29), points in the paint (34-28) and second chance points (14-10). Liberty led for only 3:08 of the 40 minutes. KSU led for 36:11.
Turning Point
Liberty trailed by as many as 14 (38-24, 3:54 mark) in the first half and was down by 13, 65-52, with 10:37 left. The Flames chipped away at the Kennesaw State lead, getting with seven (67-60) following a Kaden Metheny three with 8:18 remaining. Metheny hit another crucial triple at the 5:41 mark to get Liberty within four, 69-65. Following a Colin Porter layup with 5:16 left, Metheny buried another big three from about 35 feet out to get the Flames within one, 71-70, with 4:19 on the clock. On Liberty's next possession after the final media timeout, the defense got a stop, and Metheny drilled the go-ahead three with 3:30 left for a 73-71 advantage.
After KSU tied it up with 3:00 left on an Adrian Wooley layup, Metheny put Liberty back on top with another three, his seventh of the night, for a 76-73 edge with 2:38 left.
The Liberty defense came up with a pair of big stands in a row in the closing minute, capped off by a Taelon Peter steal and dunk with 29 seconds left to put the Flames up 79-75. Kennesaw State sliced the deficit to 80-78 with five seconds remaining following a pair of Simeon Cottle foul shots. The Flames' Peter split a pair of free throws with three ticks left. On the ensuing inbounds pass, the Flames fouled Cottle. Cottle made the first and missed the second intentionally, but the ensuing rebound tipped off an Owls player and went out of bounds. Liberty ran out the clock on the next pass inbounds to preserve the win.
Key Stats & Notes
- Liberty improves to 11-0 all-time in conference tournaments as the No. 1 seed.
- The Flames have scored 80 or more points in five straight games, the longest stretch since also scoring 80-plus in five straight games from Feb. 17-28, 1997. In those five games, Liberty is shooting 52.6 percent from the floor and has hit 59 three-pointers (42.4 percent) in that span.
- Liberty's comeback from 14 points down is its biggest comeback in a game since erasing a 15-point deficit (41-26) to UNC Asheville in the 2018 Big South Championship semifinals to win 69-64 (March 2, 2018).
- Kaden Metheny is averaging 18.0 points per game in two CUSA Championship games this season while knocking down 11 three-pointers. In three career appearances in the CUSA Tournament, Metheny is averaging 20.0 ppg and has made 17 triples.
- Metheny's seven threes tie his most in a Liberty uniform, the second time he has hit seven triples as a Flame. The redshirt senior's career high for threes in a game is eight. Metheny has 10 20-plus point games as a Flame.
- The Flames bolster their all-time record in conference tournament semifinal games to 11-7.
- The Liberty defense limited KSU to 3-of-12 shooting over the final 9:59.
- The Flames (50.9 percent, 28-of-55) shot over 50 percent for the fourth consecutive game. Liberty is 15-0 when shooting 50 percent or better.
- Colin Porter's 15-point effort was his most in a CUSA Championship game. Porter added five assists for his 16th game with five or more assists on the season. The Flames are 15-1 this season when Porter has at least five assists.
- Liberty picks up its second win in three days at the CUSA Tournament. The Flames are 2-1 all-time in two years at the championship.
- The Flames took two of three meetings with the Owls this season. Liberty improves to 11-3 all-time versus KSU.
- Each of the last six meetings between Liberty and KSU have been decided by eight points or less. This year's three matchups were decided by a combined 15 points.
- Zach Cleveland dished out six assists on the day to go with 11 points and four rebounds. Cleveland has five or more assists in 17 games this year and has five or more in four straight and 10 of his last 13 contests.
- CUSA Sixth Player of the Year Taelon Peter added 11 points and six boards off the bench and was a team-best +10 in 30:04 of action.
- Liberty is one of 16 teams in the nation with 27 or more victories this season. The Flames' 27 wins are tied for the third most in the program's Division I history.
- This was only the Flames' third time trailing at halftime all season. Liberty is 3-0 this year when behind at the break.
Liberty will await the winner of this afternoon's game between No. 2 seed Jacksonville State (21-11) and No. 3 seed Middle Tennessee (22-10) in the 2025 CUSA Men's Basketball Championship title game. Tip time is 8:30 Eastern Saturday night from Propst Arena on CBS Sports Network.
Liberty split the regular season series with Jax State and swept a pair of games with MTSU.
Team Stats
KennSt
Lib
FG%
.481
.509
3FG%
.400
.438
FT%
.826
.550
RB
35
29
TO
8
7
STL
5
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
24
FGM
8
3FGM
7
FTM
1
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
F
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
F
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