Liberty (20-10, 11-4) was outlasted on Wednesday night by FGCU (19-10, 9-6), falling 82-72 in overtime. Tavian Dunn-Martin was the difference maker, scoring 43 points, scoring 34 after halftime.

“Really hard fought game tonight,” said Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay. “Hats off to Gulf Coast, they got a big win in our place. That’s college basketball, sometimes things don’t go your way, but I love our guys. They spent everything. They had no excuses. We’re a little tired, a little fatigued, and they tried to wear Darius down and did a decent job of that. I’m anxious to get a little bit of rest and finish up on Saturday on Senior Night and see if we can’t defend our championship in the ASUN Tournament.”

The Flames led for the duration of the second half until the Eagles took the lead with 3:37 left in regulation on a Dunn-Martin triple. The teams would exchange buckets and the lead down the stretch before Brody Peebles’ acrobatic layup with 41 seconds left to tie the game. After making just 1 of 5 field goals in regulation, Austin Richie connected on two three pointers in overtime, giving FGCU the lead it would not relinquish.

Liberty’s regular season finale is on Saturday at Liberty Arena. The Flames welcome in Kennesaw State at 1 p.m. in a game that will be streamed on ESPN+. It will be Senior Day with Liberty recognizing seniors Darius McGhee and Keegan McDowell prior to the game. The Owls are currently 12-16 overall and 7-8 in conference play, having lost three straight, prior to knocking off Stetson Wednesday night.

Here are our three main takeaways from today’s game:

DUNN-MARTIN TAKES OVER

The second leading scorer in the ASUN, behind Darius McGhee, Tavian Dunn-Martin put the team on his back and willed the Eagles to the victory. He scored 32 of his team’s 37 points in the second half, helping force the game into overtime. One game after Darius McGhee set the Liberty Arena record with 39 points, Dunn-Martin went off for 43. He made 13 of 28 shots, 5 of 15 from three, and 12 of 13 from the charity stripe as he drew 10 fouls.

It was quite the turnaround from the teams’ first meetings when Dunn-Martin made just 2 of 17 from the field. He made sure the crowd knew about him on Wednesday night though, as he had words for Liberty’s bench at one point and then stared down Coach McKay at another moment.

“He was 2 for 19 the other night, so he shoots a lot,” McKay said of Dunn-Martin. “When he can get to the line like he did tonight and see it go in, that’s the easiest shot in the game. For whatever reason, I guess we fouled him a lot, but he’s a good player. He’s the second leading scorer in the league. We have to do a better job on him next time, if we get them.”

FLAMES STRUGGLE FROM THREE

Liberty had one of its worst nights shooting from behind the arc, making just 24.1% from three, making 7 of 29 shot attempts. Darius McGhee scored 28 points but made only 3 of 15 from three and 10 of 30 from the field. Keegan McDowell was just one of seven from three. Shiloh Robinson, Joseph Venzant, and Blake Preston all were 0 for 1 from three. Kyle Rode was the only Flame to have a strong shooting night from three, making three of his four attempts.

“We’re spent,” McKay stated. “I’m just telling you, just look at our schedule. We are spent. Trying to give them days in between games, but there’s a taxation mentally. You’ve got to know the scout, you’ve got to walk-through this. Keegan is one of the best shooters in the country, so is Darius. I think we’re a little worn down. Those guys have played long minutes.”

BLAKE PRESTON HAD A CAREER NIGHT

Liberty forward Blake Preston has had an up and down season with some games he plays a larger role than others. Against FGCU and their big man Kevin Samuel Wednesday night, it was a game that Blake could step up and he did just that. He finished with a career high 18 points as he made 9 of his 12 field goals. He also hauled in 10 rebounds to record his sixth career double double.