The Liberty Flames (15-3, 7-0) will look to continue its strong start to conference play on Wednesday night at Western Kentucky (11-7, 4-3).
Here’s what you need to know about the game:
How to Watch
7:30 p.m. ET | Wednesday, January 21
Bowling Green, Kentucky | Diddle Arena
TV: ESPN+
Liberty vs Western Kentucky Odds (KenPom)
Spread: Liberty -2
Projected score: Liberty 77, WKU 75
Liberty Projected Starters
#0 Colin Porter
Senior Guard | 5’10”, 170
2025-26 stats: 11.4 ppg, 3.4 apg, 2.8 rpg
#3 Kaden Metheny
R-Senior Guard | 5’11”, 170
2025-26 stats: 13.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.9 apg
#4 Brett Decker
Sophomore Guard | 6’3″, 190
2025-26 stats: 17.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 49.6% 3-point field goals
#9 JJ Harper
R-Senior Guard | 6’5″, 200
2025-26 stats: 10.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.6 apg
#25 Zach Cleveland
Senior Forward | 6’7″, 220
2025-26 stats: 11.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 7.3 apg
Liberty vs Western Kentucky History
Series tied, 2-2. The teams have split the season series each of the past 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. Last year’s regular season finale saw Liberty defeat the Hilltoppers, 90-61, at Diddle Arena in Bowling Green.
Liberty vs Western Kentucky Storylines
MEETING OF LAST 2 CUSA CHAMPS
Wednesday night’s clash between Liberty and Western Kentucky will be a meeting of the last two Conference USA champs. The Flames were the team cutting down the nets last March in Huntsville, Alabama while the Hilltoppers got the job done in 2024. WKU is currently tied with three other teams at 4-3 in the conference standings, sitting in third place behind the first place and unbeaten Flames.
WKU had a solid non-conference slate, posting a 7-4 record with three of their losses coming against teams ranked in the top 80 of KenPom. They have won 2 out of 3 entering Wednesday night’s game against the Flames, after winning at UTEP and knocking off Missouri State at home. The Hilltoppers are coming off a 81-65 setback at home to Kennesaw State.
HILLTOPPERS LOOKING TO REMAIN IN THE RACE
Sitting three games behind the first place Flames and getting Liberty at home as we approach the midway point of conference play, Wednesday’s game almost feels like a must win for Western Kentucky to remain within striking distance of Liberty as we move towards February.
Projected starters:
- 6’1″, SR, Terrion Murdix
- 6’1″, SR, Ryan Myers
- 6’4″, FR, Armelo Boone
- 6’5″, SO, Teagan Moore
- 7’0″, SR, Noah Boyde
Moore, in his second season at WKU, leads the team (and is one of the leaders in CUSA) at 17.1 points per game to go along with 6.0 rebounds per game. Boone, a freshman from Lexington, Kentucky, is certainly in the running for CUSA’s Freshman of the Year, as he is currently averaging 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. A Western Illinois transfer, Myers is currently averaging 9.9 points per game. Murdix is averaging 7.0 points per game in his first year at WKU after transferring from Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Boyde, originally from St. Lucia, transferred to Western after one year at LSU. He is averaging 3.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. 6’9″ senior forward Grant Newell is one of the top players off the bench in the league, averaging 10.8 points per game.
LIBERTY LOOKING TO REMAIN IN THE FLAMES
The Flames have been close to dominant recently, having won 9 straight and starting 7-0 in conference play. Liberty has been in the lead for 224:38 of 285 minutes in CUSA games, accounting for 78.8% of the time. Going back to last year, the Flames are 18-1 in their last 19 games against CUSA teams and 21-2 in its last 23. Liberty also picked up an impressive win at Western Kentucky to conclude the regular season last year, 90-61. In that game, Taelon Peter scored 21 points, Jayvon Maughmer had 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 assists, Zach Cleveland had 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists, and Brett Decker scored 16 points in 16 minutes.
