– stock.adobe.com)
Liberty led by six at the half, and pulled away in the second half to a convincing 83-58 win over New Mexico State on Thursday night.
Zach Cleveland led the Flames (17-11, 6-7 C-USA) with a game-high 22 points on 11-of-15 shooting along with eight rebounds and a game-best seven assists. Kyle Rode matched a career high with seven three-pointers and scored 21 points.
Kaden Metheny (nine points) eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for his collegiate career.
Liberty led 38-32 at the break and extended the lead to 57-41 at the 11:17 mark following a pair of Shiloh Robinson free throws.
A 7-2 run by New Mexico State (11-18, 5-9 C-USA) trimmed the Flames’ lead to 59-48 with 8:17 to go, but New Mexico State could not get it to a single-digit deficit the rest of the way.
The Flames held the Aggies to 10 points over the final 8:17 while totaling 24 points down the stretch. Leading 71-56 with 3:25 remaining, Liberty closed the game on a 12-2 run to secure the 25-point victory.
Rode buried three three-pointers in the closing eight-plus minutes to help put the game away.
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Chris Graham
