It all comes down to this. The 2-seed Liberty Flames (26-7, 15-3) and 1-seed Kennesaw State Owls (25-8, 15-3) meet on Sunday afternoon at the KSU Convocation Center in Kennesaw, Georgia for the ASUN Championship.

This is what many expected and hoped for in the ASUN this season. Liberty and Kennesaw State have been the best two teams in the conference throughout league play and they will meet with an automatic bid to the Big Dance and conference championship on the line.

With the unbalanced conference schedule due to 14 teams in the ASUN this season, the Flames and Owls only met once during the regular season. That game was also played in Kennesaw. The Flames were led by Darius McGhee’s 43 points but it wasn’t enough. The Owls mounted a comeback in the closing minutes of the game after trailing by as many as 14 points in the second half.

Kennesaw State defeated Queens in the ASUN Quarterfinals and then Lipscomb in the Semi’s to advance to the title game. The Flames took care of business at Liberty Arena against Bellarmine in the Quarters and defeated Eastern Kentucky in the Semifinals.

“This will be game 34, our guys know what to do, so do theirs,” said Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay. “When you have a guy like Kyle Rode who is such an incredible leader, I think there’s a sense of calm that will be presented in the blue jerseys. Blake (Preston), Shiloh (Robinson), Darius (McGhee), they’ve all been there as well. Kennesaw has got even more experience than us. What I think it comes down to is who is able to influence the game with the way they play for the majority of the game.”

Here’s everything you need to know for Sunday’s Championship matchup:

How to Watch – Liberty Flames (26-7, 15-3) vs Kennesaw State (25-8, 15-3)

  • Date: Sunday, Mar. 5, 2023
  • Start Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN2
  • Online Streaming: Watch ESPN
  • Radio (Lynchburg): LFSN Radio (107.5 FM)

Odds and Statistics

  • KenPom currently gives Liberty a 66 percent chance to win the game with a predicted score of 72-68.
  • ESPN’s Basketball Power Index currently gives Liberty an 74.3 percent chance to win the game.

Previous Matchup

  • Liberty leads the all-time series, 9-1.
  • In a game that ultimately decided who got to play at home for the championship game, Kennesaw State picked up its first ever win over the Flames. The Owls won, 88-81, on Feb. 16 in Georgia. They picked up the win despite 43 points from three-time ASUN Player of the Year Darius McGhee.

 Probable Starters

Stat Leaders (2022-23 Season)

Liberty:

  • Points: Darius McGhee – 22.7 PPG
  • Rebounds: Blake Preston – 5.2 RPG
  • Assists: Colin Porter – 3.8 APG

Ritchie McKay Press Conference Pre-Kennesaw State