The Liberty Flames (7-4) picked up a 74-64 win over East Carolina (8-3) on Friday afternoon at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“I liked the way our team played today,” head coach Ritchie McKay said. “They were very selfless in nature, that’s who they are. We played to a degree that I think warranted a victory today. I have a lot of respect for Coach Dooley. It was a great win for us.”

Liberty trailed much of the first half before seizing control of the game in the second. Darius McGhee led the way with 27 points to go along with his six rebounds and 4 assists. Shiloh Robinson added 14 points and 9 rebounds. Kyle Rode chipped in a season-high 12 points with a team-high 5 assists. Blake Preston rounded out the double figure scorers with 10 points and 6 rebounds.

The Flames will now head to Hawaii for the Diamond Head Classic where the team will play three games beginning with Northern Iowa on Wednesday. The game is scheduled for a 3 p.m. EST tip and will be televised on ESPNU.

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

VETERANS CONTRIBUTE TO THE WIN

We’ve talked all season about Liberty having a primarily young team with eight of the thirteen scholarship players being either freshmen or sophomores. On Friday against East Carolina, it was the veterans who led the way in the win. Darius McGhee, Shiloh Robinson, Kyle Rode, and Blake Preston combined to score 63 of the team’s 74 points.

While the freshmen have been impressive for much of the season, it was the veterans, who have logged a lot of impressive victories under their belts, that led the way.

KYLE RODE GETS BACK ON TRACK

The play of junior forward Kyle Rode through the team’s first 10 games has been one of the bigger disappointments of the team so far this year. Entering Friday’s game against ECU, Rode was shooting just 31.4% from the field and 25.0% from three. He had only attempted two free throws all season.

In the Spectrum Center against the Pirates, he had a season-high 12 points to go along with the team-high 5 assists. Rode made all four of his field goal attempts, including three from behind the arc.

“Kyle Rode was tremendous tonight,” said McKay. “I think his character prohibits him from losing his confidence and going in the tank. He is positive, he is upbeat, and he’s all in for the team. Not surprised. It’s much more like the Kyle Rode that we see every day.”

FLAMES SHOW IMPROVEMENT AWAY FROM HOME

Liberty has struggled away from the friendly confines of Liberty Arena this season. The Flames were 1-4 away from home on the season compared to a perfect 5-0 mark at home. The only win away from Lynchburg was against Bethune Cookman on Nov. 23 with losses against LSU, Iona, Manhattan, and Stephen F. Austin.

“We want to keep stacking the days, keep improving,” said McKay. “We have a fabulous group to coach. I think we will be really tested in the Diamond Head Classic, but it’s a privilege to be in events like that and in ones like this one. We’re going to be grateful and keep working to see if we can’t keep improving.”