Liberty (6-1) suffered its first defeat of the season, falling to No. 13 FAU (6-1), 83-58, on Thursday evening in Boca Raton, Florida to open play in the Field of 68 Tip-Off event.

“They are incredibly impressive,” said Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay. “I love their team, their individual parts, but their cohesion makes them a really tough out. They made us unlike the best version of ourselves. I love our guys. I love our group. We have a good team, but we got a little exposed tonight by how physical they are. 21 trips to the line and 13 turnovers, that’s a recipe for disaster. We will learn from it, get a chance to reel it back in tomorrow and another opportunity to play.”

The Owls were able to utilize their experience, size, and athleticism to build a comfortable lead in the opening minutes of the game. A team that returns 14 players from last year’s Final Four squad, went on a 12-0 run to push the lead to 15. Nine straight points by Colin Porter for Liberty kept the visitors within striking distance. FAU would go into the locker room with a 44-27 advantage.

The Flames would not get closer than 14 points the rest of the way with FAU going on a 13-0 run in the closing minutes to push the lead to over 20 points.

Colin Porter led the team with 16 points as he made 3 of 5 from behind the arc. Kaden Metheny also reached double figures with 10. Kyle Rode finished with 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, but he struggled shooting the ball, making just 2 of 11 shots and 1 of 7 from three.

The Flames will remain in Boca to take on Charleston on Friday, Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. in a game that will be televised on FloHoops. The Cougars are 3-3 on the season and are coming off a win at Kent State, 84-78.

BEING UNDERSIZED FINALLY CATCHES UP WITH FLAMES

It’s no secret that Liberty is a smaller team and will be undersized many nights. That has been the case on a few different occasions already this season including games against Charlotte and Wichita State. The Flames were able to overcome the size disadvantage in those contests, but that was not the case Thursday in Boca.

The Owls have size and athleticism that can match up with just about anybody in the country, as noticed by their success last season. They dominated in the paint on both ends of the floor, using their size to routinely make buckets near the rim and forcing Liberty out of their normal rhythm on offense.

FAU finished the game with a 46-26 edge in points in the paint and also held a 39-29 rebounding advantage.

“They scored 46 points in the paint, we haven’t given that up all year,” said McKay. “I’m not sure how to combat it. Maybe we trap it next time, I don’t know. I think when you try to defend without fouling and you can’t do that, then they throw it into the post and they can play over the top of you, it gets really hard. We haven’t had as much trouble with that interior presence for a while, but, again, I think that’s why they have a chance to be a national champion.”

TOP 25 DROUGHT CONTINUES

Florida Atlantic is currently ranked No. 13 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. This game marked the 20th occasion the Flames have faced a team ranked in the top 25 all-time, and Liberty remains winless in those games, falling to 0-20 following Thursday’s loss.

There haven’t been a ton of opportunities against ranked opponents under Coach McKay as this is just the third game against a top 25 team during McKay’s current stint as head coach which dates back to the 2015-16 season. In the 2021 NCAA Tournament, the Flames played No. 11 Oklahoma State in the first round in Indianapolis, falling 69-60 to the Cowboys and future No. 1 overall NBA Draft selection Cade Cunningham. Just last season, Liberty lost at No. 20 Alabama, 95-59.

FAU IS A REALLY GOOD TEAM

The Owls are really good. Don’t take anything away from what they have built down in Boca Raton. They are a legit top 15 team and will be a tough out in March. FAU already has wins over Butler, Texas A&M, and Virginia Tech (by 34!) this season. That piggybacks off their success last year 35-4 overall and made it to the Final Four.

Head coach Dusty May is one of the bright stars in the college game, and FAU has a ton of weapons. Their guards are dynamic and can take games over. They have shooters. They have athleticism. They have size.

This game was a good test and is good experience for the Flames this season. Learn from it and keep growing.

*photo courtesy Liberty Athletics