Flames No. 2 seed in tourney
The Flames men’s basketball team returns home to the Vines Center for the first round of the Big South Championship tournament after dropping their fourth-straight game in two weeks.
The four-game slump marks the Flame’s bleakest stretch of the season.
Far from home
The Flames wrapped up their regular season play in Clinton, S.C., falling to Presbyterian 66-73.
Dale Layer’s team finished the season with a 6-9 overall road record. Four of those losses were to conference opponents. In the Vines Center however, the Flames posted a 12-3 regular season record.
During the current losing streak, the Flames dropped games in Lexington, Va., to VMI, Rock Hill, S.C., to Winthrop and finally in Clinton to Presbyterian. Liberty’s loss to Iona Feb. 19 was the only home loss in the month of February.
In Liberty’s home games this season, the team posted a game differential of +8.26 points per game. On the road however, the Flames average a differential of -3.3 points per game.
Playoff Picture
At press time, the Flames enter the Big South tournament listed as the No. 2 seed with a 13-5 conference record and will spar off with No. 7 High Point Tuesday, March 1.
Scandal-ridden Coastal Carolina enjoys the No. 1 seed with a 16-2 conference record and will take on No. 8 Gardner-Webb at Coastal.
UNC Asheville, VMI, Winthrop and Charleston Southern fill out seeds three through six respectively.
In the semifinal round Thursday, March 3 at Kimbel Arena, Conway, S.C., the winner of Liberty vs. High Point will play the winner of UNC Asheville’s Tuesday game against Charleston Southern.
In the adjacent bracket, the winner of the Coastal vs. Gardner-Webb game will play the winner of Tuesday’s VMI vs. Winthrop matchup.
The final leg of the tournament to decide the Big South Champion will be played Saturday, March 5 at the highest remaining seed, between the two winners of the semifinal round.
The semifinal round will be aired on ESPNU and the championship will be aired on ESPN2.
Check libertyflames.com for updates.