Liberty Men’s Basketball Defeated By Bellarmine 53-50

It wasn’t meant to be. Liberty basketball is not progressing to the ASUN Championship Game or the NCAA Tournament. 

Bellarmine defeated Liberty 53-50 in Liberty Arena Saturday, March 5. 

Liberty was chasing history – no team in the ASUN had ever won four straight conference championships. And unfortunately for the Flames, they would not be the exception.

The Knights exploded out of the gate, jumping out to a 14-2 lead, leaving Liberty Arena stunned. 

Liberty rallied, however, with senior guard Darius McGhee driving inside for two to start the run. The Flames kept pushing and tied the game at 14 courtesy of a Kyle Rode dunk.

Bellarmine kept rolling, getting ahead 18-16. But then, freshman guard Brody Peebles happened.

Peebles drained a 3-pointer to put Liberty in the lead before nailing an and-one jumper. He made another 3 shortly after to put Liberty up by seven, and one more free throw gave the Flames a 26-18 lead going into the half.

Bellarmine scored zero points in the last nine minutes of the first half, which made the second half all the more painful for the Flames.

Just a few minutes into the second half, Bellarmine tied the game at 31. The lead changed a few times, but C.J. Flemming was able to put the Knights ahead 38-35 with a 3. 

The game regressed into a possession game with the lead changing eight times throughout the entire game. With 3:38 to go, McGhee put Liberty ahead 46-45 on a driving layup.

The final 90 seconds were tense. Dylan Penn scored to give the Knights the lead before McGhee did the same for the Flames. With 0:42 left to play, Penn drove in again, beating McGhee and laying it in to give Bellarmine a one-point lead. 

Penn’s layup proved ever-more vital when the Flames turned the ball over on the next possession. Liberty had to foul, giving the Knights a three-point lead.

Keegan McDowell was able to make a wide-open layup to make it 51-50 Bellarmine with 10 seconds to play before the Flames had to foul Flemming. He was able to make both free throws, giving Liberty one last chance to tie. 

Down 53-50, McGhee was fouled before firing a 3 from half court. He made the shot, but it was ruled to have shot after the foul, meaning it did not count. 

A final heave from McGhee was no good as the clock expired. Bellarmine won 53-50.

The Knights advance to the ASUN Championship game where they will face Jacksonville. Bellarmine will host due to the top two seeds (Jacksonville St. and Liberty) both losing.

If Jacksonville wins, they will automatically advance to the NCAA Tournament. Bellarmine is still in the four-year transitional phase from DII to DI, so they are ineligible for the NCAA Tournament. If Bellarmine wins, the regular-season champion, Jacksonville St., will make the tournament despite losing in the semifinal. 

Head Coach Ritchie McKay gave his thoughts after the loss.

“That was a tough one,” McKay said. “Really thought Bellarmine played a heck of a game and deserved to win.”

“I love this group. Our guys are unbelievable individuals, unbelievable workers … I’m disappointed that we don’t get to go back to the NCAA Tournament but proud of our group and our effort tonight and this season,” he said.

He admitted that he planned on thanking McGhee and McDowell in the locker room after the press conferences. McKay also announced that Liberty had been invited to two tournaments but said the team had not decided on if they are playing yet — they ultimately declined both offers, saying so in an Instagram post March 7.

The team will take time to process the loss, but the last four years have been nothing short of remarkable for the Flames. Three straight ASUN Championships and the team’s first NCAA Tournament win – Liberty’s future looks bright heading into its final year in the ASUN before the team moves to CUSA. 

As for McGhee, the guard has left behind an unbelievable legacy. With back-to-back ASUN Conference Player of the Year trophies and the second highest points-per-game in DI, McGhee may find his name in the rafters someday. 

Randle is a the sports editor. Follow him on Twitter