Lipscomb vs Liberty: 2018-19 College basketball game preview, TV schedule
By Joey Loose
Lipscomb and Liberty are both off to hot starts in Atlantic Sun conference play; but which team will win this crucial game to take control of first place?
TV schedule: Tuesday, January 29, 7:00 pm ET. ESPN+
Arena: Vines Center in Lynchburg, Virginia
There are only 16 teams left in college basketball that are unbeaten in conference play, and two of them will meet in a high-profile Atlantic Sun contest on Tuesday night.
One of the nation’s most potent mid-majors, Lipscomb (16-4) has come a long way under head coach Casey Alexander. The Bisons made their first NCAA Tournament last season and have won their first seven games in A-Sun play this year. They lost both of their contests to in-state rival Belmont but got a pair of solid road wins at SMU and TCU, plus a blowout win over a decent Vermont squad.
Leading the Bisons is senior guard Garrison Mathews (18.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg), the team’s most lethal shooter. Mathews has put up 31 points in the Bisons’ last two games and is becoming an unstoppable force. Senior forward Rob Marberry (15.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg) is another player to watch, putting up some really solid numbers in recent weeks, including a pair of 23 point outings in A-Sun conference play. Marberry did miss Sunday’s game at Stetson and would be an important piece in a win over Liberty.
This heavyweight A-Sun bout features some surprisingly high-rated clubs, as Lipscomb currently sits at #47 in KenPom. The Bisons are 15th in defensive efficiency despite playing at a quick pace, while also ranking in the top 20 nationally in defensive rebounding. The offense has been lacking at times beyond Mathews and Marberry, but defense can continue to win them A-Sun games.
On the other side of the court is Liberty (18-4), another great mid-major team having a stellar season. Like Lipscomb, the Flames sit at 7-0 in their first year in A-Sun conference play amidst a remarkable year. While they blew early chances at upset wins (falling to Vanderbilt and Georgetown), they got a huge upset win at UCLA right before New Year’s, igniting their current eight-game winning streak. This team and this school are pumped to host this very important game.
The Flames’ offense runs through a variety of players. Junior forward Scottie James (12.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg) has led the team in scoring four of their last six games and is the team’s best rebounder. Junior guard Caleb Homesley (11.5 ppg) put up 21 points at UCLA and has both shot and distributed the ball well all season. Guards Lovell Cabbil Jr. (10.3 ppg) and Darius McGhee (10.0 ppg) have also been solid, and the two lead the Flames in steals.
Liberty sits impressively at 49th in KenPom, making this a top 50 match-up, likely the first in a long time for the Atlantic Sun. The Flames have a top 10 effective field goal percentage and are especially potent on two-pointers. They play at a slow pace and have exhibited solid defense in A-Sun play, giving up less than 65 points in every game.
After a long stint in the Big South, Liberty’s inaugural A-Sun season has begun incredibly well. The first conference match-up between the Bisons and the Flames is going to be an incredible game, one in which both teams will try to control the game and play at their own pace. They’ve both had little trouble with the other A-sun teams and both teams have already proven they can win games against power teams.
For the Bisons, getting off to a fast start will be important. Getting Mathews going early will be key, but Lipscomb will need someone else to put up buckets to stay competitive on the road. Playing this game fast and attacking early will be key to getting Liberty off their game. For the Flames, keeping up the defensive intensity will be important. There are a number of players who could get going offensively and the Flames should be in good shape if they can control the pace of the game. These are two battle-tested teams, but neither has really been tested in the last three weeks.
Next. Most likely to go unbeaten in conference play. dark
Despite already winning at SMU and TCU, I expect Lipscomb to struggle initially in this hostile road environment, giving Liberty a slight advantage to take care of business.