The Liberty Flames (23-5, 15-2) have a quick turnaround and will look to get back on track at Jacksonville State (14-14, 9-8) on Saturday evening in a nationally televised game.

Here’s what you need to know about the game:

How to Watch

6 p.m. ET | Saturday, February 28
Jacksonville, Alabama | Mathews Coliseum
TV: ESPNU

Liberty vs Jax State Odds (KenPom)

Spread: Liberty -3
Projected score: Liberty 73, Jax State 70

Liberty Projected Starters

#0 Colin Porter

Senior Guard | 5’10”, 170
2025-26 stats: 11.8 ppg, 3.5 apg, 3.0 rpg

#3 Kaden Metheny

R-Senior Guard | 5’11”, 170
2025-26 stats: 12.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.1 apg

#4 Brett Decker

Sophomore Guard | 6’3″, 190
2025-26 stats: 16.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 48.9% 3-point field goals

#9 JJ Harper

R-Senior Guard | 6’5″, 200
2025-26 stats: 11.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 62.2% FG

#25 Zach Cleveland

Senior Forward | 6’7″, 220
2025-26 stats: 11.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 6.9 apg, 61.2% FG

Liberty vs Jax State History

Liberty leads, 5-4. Liberty defeated the Gamecocks, 78-69, in Lynchburg on Jan. 4.

Liberty vs Jax State Storylines

PREVIOUS MEETING

It was a very physical, heated game in the rematch of last year’s CUSA Championship game and a meeting of two teams who entered the game unbeaten in conference play. There were a total of 37 fouls called in the 40-minute game. The Gamecocks were called for two technical fouls and a flagrant while the Flames had one bench technical foul. Liberty was able to take advantage, getting to the free throw line 28 times compared to 19 for Jax State. The Flames shot 22 of 28 from the charity stripe for the game, including a 21 for 24 mark after halftime.

Liberty jumped out to the lead in the opening minutes before the Gamecocks went on a 15-3 run to take the lead. The Flames went scoreless for 4 minutes and 36 seconds during that run and had four turnovers as part of that span. It was Kaden Metheny who kept the Flames afloat in the opening half, as he made his first four three-pointers and went on a personal 9-0 run to put the home team on top by two in the closing minutes of the first half. The Gamecocks were able to tie the score at 27 before intermission. Metheny scored 15 of the Flames’ 27 points in the opening half.

A CUSA Preseason All-Conference team selection, Jax State forward Mostapha El Moutaouakkil had his worst offensive performance of the season. He finished with his lowest scoring output for the Gamecocks, finishing with 8 points on 3 of 15 shooting.

Metheny finished the game with 22 points on 7 of 13 shooting. He finished 5 of 9 from three. Brett Decker scored 16 and was 7 of 8 from the free throw line. Colin Porter scored 13 while Josh Smith had 12 points and 8 rebounds. Zach Cleveland rounded out the double figure scorers for Liberty, finishing with 10 points, to go along with his 10 rebounds and 7 assists.

SINCE THEN

The first meeting between the two teams was each squad’s third conference game of the season. Both teams have played 14 games since then. The Gamecocks continued their strong early season start to league play, jumping out to an 8-4 conference record after winning five of six as they stood in second place in the CUSA standings in early February. Since then, Jax State has lost four straight, including two on their home floor to UTEP and New Mexico State. They ended that losing skid with an overtime victory at home Thursday night against Delaware, 80-70.

Projected Jax State starters:

  • 6’2″, SR, Marcus Fitzgerald (5.3 ppg)
  • 6’3″, SR, AC Bryant (12.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.2 spg)
  • 6’4″, FR, Jacoby Hill (9.0 ppg, 3.5)
  • 6’6″, SR, Mostapha El Moutaouakkil (19.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg)
  • 7’0″, JR, Iaroslav Niagu (4.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.2 bpg)

While El Moutaouakkil did not have his best performance against the Flames, he has been playing very well for the Gamecocks recently. In his last three games, he has averaged 28.7 points per game including a 38-point performance in the loss at Sam Houston this past Saturday. He currently leads CUSA in scoring at 19.1 points per game.

FLAMES LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK

After winning 17 in a row, Liberty has now lost two straight for just the second time this season (11/25-11/26 vs Towson, Bradley). On Saturday, the Flames will be looking to keep the skid from extending to three games for the first time since the program’s first three games ever in Conference USA (Jan. 6-Jan. 14, 2024 against Western Kentucky, Jacksonville State, and Louisiana Tech). Liberty has only dropped three straight games twice in the past eight seasons.

The Gamecocks won’t be an easy out as they knocked off Liberty in the last meeting between the two programs at Mathews Coliseum, a 72-61 Jax State decision on Feb. 1, 2025. Liberty is 3-3 against the Gamecocks since both moved to CUSA prior to the 2023-24 season, including an 0-2 mark in Jacksonville, Alabama. Liberty has only won once at Mathews Coliseum against the Gamecocks, a 79-55 Liberty win on Feb. 18, 2023 when both teams were still in the ASUN.