The Liberty Flames (23-3, 15-0) have a rematch with CUSA rival Western Kentucky (15-11, 8-7) on Saturday afternoon from a sold out Liberty Arena.

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

How to Watch

4 p.m. ET | Saturday, February 21
Lynchburg, Virginia | Liberty Arena
TV: ESPN+

Liberty vs Western Kentucky Odds (KenPom)

Spread: Liberty -9
Projected score: Liberty 79, Western Kentucky 70

Liberty Projected Starters

#0 Colin Porter

Senior Guard | 5’10”, 170
2025-26 stats: 11.5 ppg, 3.6 apg, 3.0 rpg

#3 Kaden Metheny

R-Senior Guard | 5’11”, 170
2025-26 stats: 13.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.2 apg

#4 Brett Decker

Sophomore Guard | 6’3″, 190
2025-26 stats: 17.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 48.4% 3-point field goals

#9 JJ Harper

R-Senior Guard | 6’5″, 200
2025-26 stats: 11.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 60.9% FG

#25 Zach Cleveland

Senior Forward | 6’7″, 220
2025-26 stats: 11.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 7.1 apg, 61.9% FG

Liberty vs Western Kentucky History

Liberty leads, 3-2. The teams have split the season series each of the first two years since Liberty moved to Conference USA. The first three games in the series were decided by exactly 1 point, 2 points, and 3 points.

Liberty vs Western Kentucky Storylines

PREVIOUS MEETING

Liberty jumped out to a terrific start on the road. JJ Harper, Brett Decker, and Colin Porter all  hit three-pointers out of the gate as the Flames led 9-0 and 15-2 in the opening minutes. It forced Western Kentucky head coach Hank Plona to use two timeouts early as he attempted to halt the Flames’ torrid pace to begin the game. He subbed out his entire starting lineup and it sparked the home team. The Hilltoppers went on a 14-0 run to take their first lead at 16-5. It was an extended 18-1 WKU run as the Flames went scoreless for 4:49 and were held without a field goal for 6:06. Liberty would go on a 13-2 spurt late in the first half to regain the lead and go into the locker room with a 35-32 lead.

Coming out of the locker room, Liberty gained control with a 16-2 run. The Hilltoppers were held scoreless for over three minutes as Liberty went up by double digits. Porter had back-to-back three-pointers and scored eight straight for the Flames as part of the run. The back and forth continued as Western went on a 9-2 spurt to cut the deficit to six. The teams would continue to exchange blows down the stretch as WKU attempted to keep the game within striking range.

Leading by 5 with less than a minute remaining, it initially looked like Liberty got a key stop. JJ Harper forced a jump ball and a turnover with the possession arrow favoring the Flames. However, after an official’s review, Zach Cleveland was called for a dead ball, technical foul. WKU hit the two free throws to cut their deficit to 3. After an offensive foul on the Hilltoppers, Josh Smith made a free throw to extend the lead back to two possessions at 71-67. Smith made three more free throws in the closing seconds to push the lead back out and finally put WKU away.

Western Kentucky allowed Liberty to shoot 17 of 29 (59%) from three. It marked a season high in three-pointers made and the first time the Flames have had double digit made threes since the conference opener in late December at FIU. The Toppers were content to force the Flames into the three-point shot as they packed the paint, holding Liberty to just 4 of 16 shooting inside the arc and only 8 points in the paint. Kaden Metheny led the Flames in scoring with 19 points on 5 of 7 shooting from three. He also had 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Brett Decker had 15 points on 4 of 7 three-point shooting while Colin Porter scored 11 on 3 of 5 shooting from behind the arc.

SINCE THEN

That loss to the Flames in late January was part of a four-game losing skid for the Hilltoppers, as they fell to 4-6 in conference play and looked like they may be in danger of missing the CUSA Tournament. Since then, WKU has rebounded to win four out of five, including three in a row as they now sit at 8-7 in conference play and are part of a three-way tie in third place in the conference standings. Western Kentucky defeated Delaware on the road Wednesday night in overtime, 88-87.

Projected WKU starters:

  • 6’1″, SR, Terrion Murdix (6.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.9 apg)
  • 6’3″, JR, LJ Hackman (7.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.7 apg)
  • 6’5″, SO, Teagan Moore (18.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.2 apg)
  • 6’9″, SR, Grant Newell (11.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
  • 6’11”, SR, Blaise Keita (2.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg)

The Hilltoppers fought through injury concerns throughout much of the conference season, but they appear to be heading towards being more healthy entering the stretch run. Their leading scorer, Teagan Moore, who scored 19 in the first meeting against the Flames, missed five straight games before returning to the lineup for the last two games in which he scored 28 and 27 points, respectively. Armelo Boone has missed a few games but was back in the lineup in the win over Delaware. Noah Boyde has missed the last 6 games.

“Western Kentucky is playing terrifically well,” said Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay. “Teagan Moore is back, he is one the best players in the league. They’ve gotten really good play from their guards. They are going to be a problem. I hope it’s raucous on Saturday afternoon because we’re going to need them.”