For the first time in Liberty’s Division I era, the Flames are 6-0 to start the season as they began the Islands of the Bahamas Showcase with an 89-44 win over Morgan State.
The Flames will face the winner of the Rice vs. Milwaukee game in the second round of the tournament.
Liberty created distance early in the game as they went on a 24-2 run to take the lead. Coming off the bench, Kyle Rode provided the spark on offense scoring a game-high 15 points in the first half shooting 5-6 from the field and a perfect 3-3 from three-point range.
Liberty would score a season-high 50 points in the first half, creating a 24-point lead at the break. Liberty’s defense was exceptional all day as they held Morgan State to just 28.6 percent (14-49) from the field throughout the game.
“I thought we were consistently sound on the defensive end, and when you have a group that is as unselfish as we are and capable of scoring from a lot of different spots on the floor, I thought we outlasted them,” Liberty coach Ritchie McKay said. “Morgan State is a good team, and I have a lot of respect for them; they pulled out a win at George Washington, so I am really proud of our guys.”