Home Red-hot Liberty Flames sizzle, get 10th win, in 79-63 road W at Utah Valley
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Red-hot Liberty Flames sizzle, get 10th win, in 79-63 road W at Utah Valley

Chris Graham
liberty university
(© Rosemarie
– stock.adobe.com)

Liberty shot 84 percent from the floor in the first half on the way to its first road win of the season, 79-63, at Utah Valley on Wednesday.

The Flames (10-3) were 21-of-25 from the floor in the opening 20 minutes, but only led Utah Valley (6-6) 46-34 at the break.

An early 10-0 run pushed the lead to 21, and Liberty would lead by as many as 25 before garbage time.

The win snapped Utah Valley’s 11-game home winning streak.

Zach Cleveland had 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting, eight assists, seven rebounds and three blocked shots to lead the Liberty effort.

“I thought this was a really good win because this is a tough venue,” Liberty coach Ritchie McKay said. “They play with a lot of confidence at home. They have a really good interior presence and a really good plan. I think we built a little confidence early by scoring the ball and trying to taking advantage of what the defense was giving us. It was a good effort going into Christmas break, and I think our guys earned one.”

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Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].