The Liberty Flames (22-7, 13-3) and Queens Royals (17-12, 7-9) will meet twice this week to conclude the regular season for both squads, beginning with a matchup in Charlotte on Wednesday night.

Queens has been impressive during their first season in the ASUN after moving up to Division I from the Division II ranks. The Royals were one of the better teams at the D2 level before moving up, and they have been able to make a successful transition. They have been competitive in every conference game, with all their ASUN losses coming by single digits.

6’0″ senior guard Kenny Dye has put together an all-conference season. He leads the team in scoring at 17.8 points per game and also leads his squad with 4.8 assists per contest. He also averages 4.1 rebounds each game and is shooting 40.0% from three.

“They’ve got a really good team,” Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay said of Queens. “You will really like watching Kenny Dye as basketball fans. You won’t as Liberty fans because he is a problem. He is a terrific guard. He is not just a scorer, he is a creator. He’s tough. He will play for money. I will vote for him for all-conference and already did for all-district. I think he’s that good.”

“There is reason for angst. You don’t go into Kennesaw and win the game, no one else has, without having a really good plan and a really good team.”

Here’s everything you need to know for Saturday’s matchup:

How to Watch – Liberty Flames (22-7, 13-3) vs Queens (17-12, 7-9)

  • Date: Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023
  • Start Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN+
  • Online Streaming: Watch ESPN
  • Radio (Lynchburg): LFSN Radio (107.5 FM)

Odds and Statistics

  • KenPom currently gives Liberty a 79 percent chance to win the game with a predicted score of 78-70.
  • ESPN’s Basketball Power Index currently gives Liberty an 88.2 percent chance to win the game.

Previous Matchup

  • The Flames lead the series 1-0.
  • Liberty won the only previous meeting during the 1983-84 season, 90-42.

 Probable Starters

Stat Leaders (2022-23 Season)

Liberty:

  • Points: Darius McGhee – 22.0 PPG
  • Rebounds: Blake Preston – 5.3 RPG
  • Assists: Colin Porter – 4.0 APG

Ritchie McKay Press Conference Pre-Queens