Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images Liberty senior guard Darius McGhee leads the nation with 765 total points this season.
The three-time reigning Atlantic Sun conference tournament champion Liberty Flames take on the Lipscomb Bisons on Thursday night in the ASUN Tournament quarterfinals at Liberty Arena in Lynchburg, Virginia.
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The game (7 p.m. ET start time) isn’t on TV, but anyone in the US can watch Lipscomb vs Liberty live on ESPN+:
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Lipscomb vs Liberty Preview
The Atlantic Sun’s eastern division champion Liberty Flames begin their quest for a fourth-consecutive conference tournament title when they host the western division’s fourth-seeded Lipscomb Bisons in the ASUN Tournament quarterfinal round on Thursday night.
The Flames finished just behind western division champion Jacksonville State for the conference regular-season title but will be looking to get back to the NCAA Tournament for a third appearance in the last four years. The Bisons will be looking to avenge back-to-back losses to Liberty in the ASUN Tournament final in 2019 and ’20.
Here’s a look at the breakdown for each team as they head into Thursday’s critical win-or-go-home matchup:
Liberty Flames (21-10, 12-4 Atlantic Sun)
Liberty finished atop the Atlantic Sun’s eastern division with 21 wins this season and rank third in the nation with 103 wins over the last four seasons. The Flames received a first-round bye for their division title and will host Lipscomb at Liberty Arena Thursday night, where they are 12-2 this season.
Leading the way for Liberty is senior guard Darius McGhee, who was named the ASUN Player of the Year for the second straight season. McGhee had a banner season in his last collegiate campaign, topping all of Division I in total points (765), total field goals made (258), and three-point baskets made (135).
On senior day this past Saturday, McGhee was at his best, scoring a Liberty Arena record 47 points and pulling down nine rebounds in a 100-93 overtime victory over Kennesaw State.
“Another great game to witness, not so much to coach because there were a lot of stressful moments, but I am glad number two (Darius McGhee) plays for us,” said Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay after the win. “What a fabulous job our guys did in finding a way. That is the fourth game in eight days for us and I know this has been a really hard stretch for us in the month of February and the way they battled and finished the season, I am really proud of them.”
Liberty beat Lipscomb at home in their lone regular-season meeting this year, 78-69, on Feb. 8. McGhee scored a game-high 29 points and junior forward Kyle Rode tallied 24 for the Flames.
Lipscomb Bisons (14-18, 6-10 Atlantic Sun)
Lipscomb has won three of their last four games, including a 74-65 win over the eastern division’s fifth-seeded North Florida in an ASUN first-round matchup on Tuesday.
ASUN First-Team honoree Ahsan Asadullah scored a team-leading 28 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for his 12th double-double of the season. The junior center is one of only 16 players in Division I who leads their squad in points, rebounds, and assists.
Lipscomb guard Trae Benham was named to the conference’s All-Freshman Team after averaging 9.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game this season. Benham is dangerous from beyond the perimeter, connecting on 43.8 percent of his three-point attempts.
Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Schedule
The winner of Thursday’s game will advance to the semifinals, which will be played on Saturday. The two semifinal winners will meet in the ASUN championship game on Tuesday night.
Semifinals (Saturday, Mar. 5)
*Teams are reseeded*
(4) at (1)
(3) at (2)
Championship (Tuesday, Mar. 8)
Semifinal winners, 5 p.m. ET (ESPN2)