Behind some hot three-point shooting, Liberty (2-0) got past Charleston (1-1), 90-75, on Friday night to open up play in the Field of 68 Media Event in front of 3,999 fans. The Flames finished the night making 14 of 29 from three point range, led by Kaden Metheny and Brett Decker who each knocked down 5 triples while Colin Porter added 3.
“Charleston is really good,” said Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay. “They are not only talented, but they are super well-coached. They’ve got some injuries they are dealing with right now.”
The obvious difference between the two teams is the size, especially in the frontcourt as Liberty still works without Isaiah Ihnen and a limited Josh Smith as they recover from knee injuries. 7’2″ Christian Reeves for Charleston looked to establish himself early but Liberty’s 6’5″ JJ Harper drew the defensive assignment and kept Reeves in check. Harper stole the entry pass into the post on the game’s opening possession. Reeves would go on to pick up two fouls in the first two minutes of the game and head to the bench for much of the first half.
When Reeves went to the bench, 7’0″ Chol Machot entered and he found success immediately. Machot scored 6 points and grabbed four rebounds to help the Cougars to a 14-3 extended run as they took their first lead of the night. The Flames would fight right back with Colin Porter being able to get into the paint and score at the bucket, as he made his first four field goals, all in the paint. Porter’s backcourt mate, Kaden Metheny, missed his first seven three pointers of the season, including his first two against Charleston Friday night, before finally connecting on a triple late in the first half.
Porter finished the opening half with a game high 13 points on 5 of 7 shooting. The Flames dominated in the paint, outscoring the Cougars 24-12 despite the size disadvantage.
Coming out of the locker room to start the second half, Flames got hot from three. Metheny made three straight triples to push the lead to 12 on a 9-2 run and force Charleston head coach Chris Mack to call a timeout. The three-point barrage wasn’t done as Brett Decker and Porter connected as the lead grew to 18. Liberty outscored Charleston, 19-8 before the first media timeout of the second half. The Cougars would threaten, cutting the lead to 10 on a couple occasions but did not get any closer.
“He’s Kaden Metheny,” McKay said. “He’s just got that ability. The way their defense was covering our guards, trying to play no catch, no help, obviously there is a lot of space. That is usually healthy for our offense. When you have Kaden, Colin, Brett, and JJ on the floor at the same time, and Zach Cleveland, that’s a tough lineup to defend. We had to be warriors on the other end. I thought our guys did a good job tonight.”
Porter finished the game with a team-high 23 points on 8 of 10 shooting from the field and 3 of 4 from three. He was also perfect at the charity stripe. Porter fell just two points shy of his career-high in scoring as he had 25 in his freshman campaign against Eastern Kentucky on March 2, 2023 in the ASUN Conference Tournament semifinals at Liberty Arena.
“He’s as underrated a point guard as there is in the country,” McKay said of Porter. “Obviously, I’m biased, but the things that he does on the court allows us to play the way that we do. We literally don’t have to call plays. We can even suggest some things that teams think that we’re doing and we’re not doing it. That’s Colin Porter, Zach Cleveland, and a host of others. I think he’s got that wherewithal, a great point guard makes everyone around him better, and he’s that. To have a point guard like that, it’s special.”
Decker joined Porter in the 20-point scoring group, getting over that mark for the second time in as many games to begin the season. The sophomore had 21 points on 8 of 16 shooting and 5 of 10 from three. Metheny nearly joined them in the 20-point club Friday night, scoring 18 points on 6 of 10 shooting and 5 of 8 from three.
Zach Cleveland was on triple-double watch late into the night before finishing with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. It is his third career double-double and second in as many games this season.
JJ Harper added 8 points in 19 minutes. Josh Smith got into the lineup for 3 minutes as he continues to fight back from a knee injury. It was his first action in a Liberty uniform after transferring from Stetson prior to the start of the 2024-25 season. He last played in a game in February 2024 at Stetson.
The Flames shot 54.2% from the field on the evening. After halftime, Liberty made 10 of 17 (52.8%) from three. The Flames finished the night with just five turnovers, outscoring Charleston, 18-7, in points off turnovers. Liberty also outscored Charleston, 36-28, in the paint.
“When we are tough to score against defensively and we get a chance to get out (in transition), especially with those guards on the court, I think you got a chance to have some runs yourself,” McKay stated.
In the third and final year of the round-robin series featuring mid-major powers Liberty, Charleston, and Florida Atlantic in the Field of 68 Event, Liberty finishes 2-1 against Charleston. Last year, Liberty earned a 68-47 road win at Charleston. The Flames are now 2-3 all-time at the event.
The Flames will return to action Sunday evening at 6 p.m. against Florida Atlantic to conclude the Field of 68 Media Event. The Owls are currently 1-0 on the season after defeating Boston College, 83-78, in overtime at home on Monday night. They take on Charleston at Liberty Arena at 6 p.m. Saturday evening.
