The CUSA tournament championship game will be between the top two seeds. Both teams won close, hard-fought games to make the title game; Liberty was down by 13 halfway through the second half before pulling out an 81-79 win. Jacksonville State seemingly had a tired Middle Tennessee State (who was playing their second game in 18 hours after a double overtime win) KO'd; they led by seven points with less than four minutes left. The Blue Raiders managed to come back and tie the game before two late Quel'Ron House free throws gave the Gamecocks the win. Now, both teams will have to put the nervy finishes behind them as they compete for a trip to the NCAA tournament.
How to watch Jacksonville State vs Liberty
- Date: Saturday, March 15th
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: VBC Propst Arena (Huntsville, AL)
- How to Watch (TV): CBSSN
- Streaming: fubo TV (link: https://www.fubo.tv/welcome/leagues/191260?irad=367782&irmp=374356)
- Jacksonville State record: 22-11 (12-6)
- Liberty record: 27-6 (13-5)
Jacksonville State vs. Liberty odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook (link: https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/ )
Moneyline
- Jacksonville State +220
- Liberty -275
Spread
- Jacksonville State +6.5
- Liberty -6.5
Total
- 130.5 (over -115/under -105)
Jacksonville State injury report
- Jamar Franklin, G: Out (undisclosed)
Liberty injury report
- Isaiah Ihnen, F: Out (undisclosed)
Liberty and Jacksonville State series history
- Liberty all-time record vs. Jacksonville State: 3-4
Jacksonville State vs Liberty prediction
These teams split the regular season series. Jacksonville State won the first matchup 72-61 at home on February first; Liberty won on their home court in the rematch, 59-55. Both teams have defenses that can slow down opponents. Liberty has allowed the fewest points in the conference at 62.3 points allowed per game, while Jacksonville State is third at 68.3 points allowed per game. Both teams also prefer to play at a slower tempo, with neither team averaging more than 65.5 possessions in a game.
Each team has a player instrumental to their success, albeit in different ways. Jacksonville State has CUSA Player of the Year Jaron Pierre. Pierre is fourth in the country in minutels played per game and will rarely leave the court for the Gamecocks. He averages 21.7 points per game and is the key playmaker for JSU; in their win over MTSU Pierre struggled against the Blue Raiders' physical defense but still managed to lead the team with 19 points. Meanwhile, Liberty has do-everything forward Zach Cleveland. Cleveland does a little of everything for the Flames; he can score (third on the team at 11 points per game), rebound (leads the team with six per game) and distribute the ball (5.2 per game, first for the Flames).
Ultimately, the game comes down to Liberty making their first shot while on offense; the Flames are one of the best teams in the country in effective field goal percentage and three-point shooing (according to KenPom). Conversely, they are one of the worst offensive rebounding teams in the country, so they generally only get one shot per possession. That being said, Liberty also boasts a top-50 defense which should keep the Gamecocks from running away from them even if they start out slow. I'll take the Liberty for the win; they will be a headache in the NCAA tournament for a four or five seed.