Liberty Flames Narrowly Outscored by Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Murphy Center
The Liberty Flames, with a record of 0-0, faced off against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, also at 0-0, in a closely contested battle that ended with a final score of 69-61. The game took place at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, where 2,806 fans witnessed an intense conference matchup.
The Flames entered the second half trailing by three points after scoring 30 in the first half and managed to add another 31 points to their tally. Despite their efforts and maintaining a high two-point field goal percentage of 68 percent by making 17 out of 25 attempts, they couldn't overcome the Blue Raiders' lead. The Flames shot an overall field goal percentage of 49 percent from their total attempts (24 made out of 49) but struggled beyond the arc with only seven three-pointers made from twenty-four attempts resulting in a three-point shooting percentage of just under one-third.
On defense, Liberty managed four blocks and grabbed thirty-one rebounds—three offensive and twenty-seven defensive—but it wasn't enough to stifle Middle Tennessee's offense which scored fifteen fast-break points. The Flames' tenacity was evident as they fought for every possession; however, they were hindered by fifteen turnovers throughout the game.
Middle Tennessee's home advantage seemed to play into their hands as they put up an impressive performance against Liberty. They showcased efficiency from both the free-throw line with a near-perfect rate of ninety-three percent (13 made out of fourteen attempts) and behind the three-point line where they shot forty-four percent (10 made out of twenty-three attempts). Their ability to convert opportunities into points was further highlighted by scoring sixteen points off turnovers compared to nine by Liberty.
The Blue Raiders also edged past in assists with twelve over ten from Liberty but committed fewer personal fouls (11) than their opponents who had fourteen. In terms of rebounds, Middle Tennessee secured one more than Liberty for a total count of thirty-two which included eight offensive boards contributing to nine second-chance points.
Looking ahead for the Flames faithfuls', there is an upcoming game scheduled on March 9th at noon local time when Liberty will host Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Liberty Arena in Lynchburg. Fans can catch this event live on ESPN+ through internet streaming services as part of extended coverage for what promises to be another exciting college basketball encounter.