Liberty (3-0) defeated Florida Atlantic (2-1), 88-68 on Sunday night in front of 3,722 fans. With the win, the Flames conclude the Field of 68 Media Event this season with a perfect 2-0 mark, besting Charleston on Friday and then the Owls Sunday.
“Our guys played with a spirit that was infectious,” said Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay. “Obviously, Kaden and Brett had great shooting nights, but I felt like the connectivity that our group displayed was reflective really of who we’ve been as a program, who we want to be, and obviously getting a chance to represent Liberty is a privilege and I think our guys showed that in their effort this evening.”
The Flames came out of the gate scorching hot on offense, shooting 65.5% from the field and 8 of 13 (61.5%) from three in the opening half. The home team utilized a 20-2 run to open the game up and push the lead over 20 points. Kaden Metheny made his first four triples as part of the early offensive onslaught. He scored 21 points in the first half on 8 of 10 shooting and 5 of 7 from three. He’s the first Liberty player to score 20 or more in a half since Taelon Peter had 21 in the second half at Louisiana Tech on January 11, 2025 as Liberty went into the half with a 48-30 lead.
Playing against a team that entered the game with a 2-0 record following impressive wins over Boston College and Charleston to open the season, Liberty would maintain its lead throughout the second half with the Owls not getting closer than 14. Brett Decker hit four straight three-pointers in a span of 2 minutes and 29 seconds to put the final nails in Florida Atlantic. The lead would get to as many as 26 points.
“Ritchie has done a great job, but what they have is pretty unique,” said FAU head coach John Jakus. “The retention of those three guys – two guards and Cleveland – then you throw Decker in there, you’re just not getting that in college basketball. There’s a reason they were the unanimous pick to win Conference USA.”
Metheny finished the game with a Liberty career-high and just one off his collegiate career-high set when he was at Bowling Green with 28 points. H e was 11 of 16 from the field and 5 of 10 from three. Brett Decker finished with 19 points on 7 of 14 shooting and 5 of 7 from three. JJ Harper reached double figures with 13 points on 5 of 6 shooting and 1 of 2 from three. Colin Porter also got into double figures with 10 points on 3 of 8 shooting despite being 0 of 3 from three. Porter also had 4 assists and 3 rebounds. Zach Cleveland continues to flirt with a triple-double. He finished the game with 9 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. The five Liberty starters all played over 32 minutes in the win.
“You got to kind of decide when you are matching up with us who are you going to put your better defenders on,” said McKay. “(Decker) being able to play with Colin, Kaden, and Zach at the same time, and JJ, it’s a lineup that is a little unconventional.”
For the game, Liberty shot 55% from the field and 13 of 28 from three (46%). Liberty was also an impressive 11 of 13 from the free throw line (85%). The Owls were limited to 40% shooting fron the floor and 3 of 15 from three (20%).
Liberty concludes its time in the three-year Field of 68 Media Event with a 3-3 record. The Flames were 0-2 in the two games in Boca Raton two years ago before splitting the pair in Charleston last season and ultimately sweeping the two at home this year. Liberty was 0-2 against FAU in the event after falling to the Owls, 77-74, in overtime a year ago.
“I thought there was one guy to stay out on the three last year,” Jakus said about last year’s Liberty team. “The improvement of Decker in the offseason has completely changed the dynamic of their basketball team. It just flips the floor in an extra way that is really hard to deal with. They are way ahead of college basketball right now. Maybe eight weeks from now that is a different basketball game, I think it might be, but they are significantly better and I think the Decker thing is real.”
The Flames have a week off until hitting the court again by playing host to Carolina University on Monday, Nov. 17 at Liberty Arena with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m.
“Colin, Kaden, and Zach are special players,” said McKay. “Brett Decker has been on another level, but we kind of felt like that might come this season. Then, JJ Harper, you couldn’t pick a guy to be better suited for a role that we needed on our team. Our freshmen, Zander Carter, Drew Grimes, RJ, and TJ Drain was slowed by an injury. The game was too significant to just give away some minutes, but I do feel like we have a group that is connected and has potential for growth.”
