The Liberty Flames (7-3) will conclude their non-conference season on Saturday at Dayton (9-3) in the first of two games against the Flyers over the next two seasons as a home and home series begins. Dayton will come to Lynchburg and Liberty Arena next year.
Here’s what you need to know about the game:
How to Watch
12:30 p.m. ET | Saturday, December 20
Dayton, Ohio | University of Dayton Arena
TV: USA Network
Liberty vs Dayton Odds (KenPom)
Spread: Liberty +9
Projected score: Dayton 78, Liberty 69
Liberty Projected Starters
#0 Colin Porter
Senior Guard | 5’10”, 170
2025-26 stats: 10.4 ppg, 3.4 apg, 2.4 rpg
#3 Kaden Metheny
R-Senior Guard | 5’11”, 170
2025-26 stats: 13.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.2 apg
#4 Brett Decker
Sophomore Guard | 6’3″, 190
2025-26 stats: 18.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 55.3% 3-point field goals
#9 JJ Harper
R-Senior Guard | 6’5″, 200
2025-26 stats: 11.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.4 apg
#25 Zach Cleveland
Senior Forward | 6’7″, 220
2025-26 stats: 9.1 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 8.0 apg
Liberty vs Dayton History
N/A, first meeting. Flames did play at the UD Arena in the First Four of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, losing as a 16-seed against fellow 16-seed North Carolina A&T, 73-72 on March 19, 2013.
Liberty vs Dayton Storylines
LAST NON-CON TUNE-UP FOR FLAMES
Currently at 7-3, this will be Liberty’s last non-conference game before opening league play next Sunday, Dec. 28 at FIU in what will be the first of 20 straight Conference USA games. So far this season has had ups and downs and been plagued by injuries. Liberty had high water marks after the team’s 5-0 start with impressive wins at home over FAU and Charleston. Then, the Flames lost two games in the ESPN Events Invitational and got beat by 40 at NC State. Numerous players have missed time or been limited by injuries through the first six weeks of the season. Saturday’s game at Dayton gives Liberty one final chance to see where they stack up against a very quality opponent before the second phase of the season begins with league play. A win would certainly go a long way to setting the vibes in the right direction heading into the main part of the season.
Liberty is looking for its second all-time win against an A-10 foe. The Flames are 1-13 all-time against Atlantic 10 opponents but have not faced an A-10 squad since 2016. Liberty’s lone win against a team from the conference came on Nov. 11, 1999, a 62-61 road win over Virginia Tech. The Flames’ last game against an A-10 school was a 64-59 loss to VCU at the Vines Center on Nov. 15, 2016.
DAYTON LOOKING TO GET BACK TO BIG DANCE
In his 9th year as head coach at Dayton, Anthony Grant is hoping to get the Flyers back to the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in his tenure and first since 2024 when they reached the 2nd round as a 7-seed. Granted, Dayton would have certainly made the 2020 Big Dance that was canceled and could have been a one-seed with a record of 29-2 entering the A-10 Tournament. Just because they haven’t been in the Tournament that often, doesn’t mean Grant and Dayton haven’t been a quality team. They have won 20 or more games in 7 of the last 8 seasons, with the COVID-affected 2020-21 season when Dayton only played 24 games being the lone exception.
The Flyers were 23-11 last year and 12-6 in the Atlantic 10, finishing tied for third place. They won one game in the NIT before being eliminated. This year, Grant and the Flyers were picked to finish third once again in the preseason poll.
FLYERS A BIG TEST
Dayton looks poised for a great season. They enter Saturday’s matchup with Liberty at 9-3 with their three losses coming to Cincinnati, BYU, and Virginia who are a combined 26-6. The Flyers have picked up wins over Marquette and Georgetown, both in overtime, and are coming off an impressive, 97-69, beat down of Florida State on Tuesday night. Dayton is 7-0 at home so far this season, continuing a trend of successful play on their home floor, especially in the non-conference. The Flyers have won 33 straight home non-conference games with their last loss coming November 20, 2021.
The Flyers have typically gone nine deep this season. They are led by preseason all-conference first-team player Javon Bennett. The 5’10” senior guard is in his third year at Dayton. He scored 25 in the win over Florida State and is tied for the team-lead with 16.4 points per game. De’Shayne Montgomery is a 6’4″ guard in his first year at Dayton after transferring from Georgia. He scored 20 in the win over the Seminoles and is tied with Bennett for the team-lead in scoring at 16.4 points per game.
Amael L’Etang was a preseason all-conference second-team selection. The 7’1″ sophomore is currently averaging 12.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. 6’6″ senior Keonte Jones is a first-year Flyer, coming from CSUN. He’s averaging 8.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game this season. A first year player after transferring from Rutgers, 6’5″ senior Jordan Derkack is averaging 7.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.
“Coach Grant is tremendous,” McKay said of Grant and Dayton. “(NC State head coach) Will Wade referred to them as a high major. They’ve got a great program who has a great following. They will sell out. It will be a good experience for our guys. We will have been tested on the road. I just want our response to be better (than it was at NC State). I want to be more competitive. We are showing up with an expectation that’s been reflective of this program for years and it’s going to continue.”
