Liberty vs Lipscomb: 2018-19 ASUN title game preview, TV schedule

Liberty and Lipscomb will meet in the Atlantic Sun championship game on Sunday afternoon; will it be the Flames or the Bisons making the NCAA Tournament?

TV schedule: Sunday, March 10, 3:00 pm ET. ESPN

Arena: Allen Arena in Nashville, Tennessee

For the third time this season, the two best teams in the Atlantic Sun will meet, but this time it’s for all the marbles and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Liberty (27-6) and Lipscomb (25-6) split their regular season meetings, with the road team victorious in both games. These teams were both 14-2 in A-Sun play, slipping up just once in games outside of each other. This will be one of the most exciting mid-major tournament finals.

In their first year in the A-Sun, Liberty has done a great job adjusting to their new opposition. They won by 15 at UCLA in late December to begin an 8-game winning streak and enter this conference final as winners of their last four contests. Their loss at North Florida in late February really hurt their resume, but this is still a very potent team.

The Flames have balance on offense, led by junior forward Scottie James (13.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg), who led the way with 24 points in the semifinal win against North Florida. Another player to watch is junior guard Caleb Homesley (12.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg), a talented guard and solid rebounder. Senior guard Lovell Cabbil adds 11.5 ppg and this rotation is full of competent weapons.

Liberty sits at 67th in KenPom and 63rd in NET, ranking 63rd in offensive efficiency. The Flames don’t have a shot at an at-large bid, but their slow pace and efficient offense have led them to a lot of wins this season. The team is 7th in 2-point shooting and 11th overall at efficient field goal percentage.

Across the court, Lipscomb looks to head back to the NCAA Tournament after making their first appearance last year. The Bisons have a pair of wins at SMU and TCU, but a sweep by Belmont and a loss at Florida Gulf Coast have likely derailed their chances of an at-large bid, especially as the Horned Frogs have struggled to end the season. Regardless, Lipscomb is also riding a four-game winning streak and look to get the last laugh against the Flames.

The Bisons are fronted by senior guard Garrison Mathews (20.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg), who dropped 22 points on NJIT on Thursday in their semifinal win. He led the offense in the early season victory over Liberty but struggled in their home loss two weeks later. Senior forward Rob Marberry (14.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg) is another player to keep an eye on; he had 22 points in their last game against the Flames.

Lipscomb sits at 48th in KenPom and 43rd in NET, ranking 62nd in offensive efficiency and 43rd defensively. They play at a fast pace and can score points in a hurry. The Bisons can make shots from all of the court and are 12th in the nation in defensive rebounding. They will not give up a lot of second chances and will make you pay in transition.

Both of these teams want to control the pace of play. If the Flames can slow this game down, then they’re going to put themselves in a great position to control the game. If the Bisons get going early, then they’ll have Liberty overwhelmed like they did in their win on the road. This will all come down to which player shines brightest in Nashville.

Atlantic Sun player of the year Garrison Mathews is my bet, and I expect Lipscomb to pull out the close win. They dominated these Flames on the road and will not be intimidated by the neutral court environment against a stronger opponent. The Flames will put up a fight and can win if they slow down Mathews and this offense, but I expect Lipscomb to return to the NCAA Tournament.

Prediction: Lipscomb 74, Liberty 70