Halftime Report
Only one more half stands between Liberty and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. A victory is still up for grabs for either team after one quarter, but Liberty is up 39-37 over North Carolina A&T.
Liberty entered the game having won six straight and they're just one half away from another. Will they make it seven, or will North Carolina A&T step up and spoil it? We'll know soon.
Who's Playing
North Carolina A&T Aggies @ Liberty Flames
Current Records: North Carolina A&T 3-7, Liberty 9-1
How To Watch
- When: Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Liberty Arena -- Lynchburg, Virginia
- TV: ESPN Plus
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $9.00
What to Know
If the oddsmakers' predictions hold true, the near future looks bright for Liberty. They will stay at home for another game and welcome the North Carolina A&T Aggies at 7:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at Liberty Arena. The Flames are strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 77.2 points per game this season.
Last Saturday, everything came up roses for Liberty against Miss Valley State as the squad secured an 89-52 victory. The Flames have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six contests by 20 points or more this season.
Liberty can attribute much of their success to Kaden Metheny, who went 6 for 9 from beyond the arc en route to 22 points. That's the most threes Metheny has posted since back in January. The team also got some help courtesy of Brett Decker Jr., who went 5 for 9 en route to 16 points.
Liberty was working as a unit and finished the game with 18 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Miss Valley State only posted six.
Meanwhile, North Carolina A&T's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their fifth straight defeat. They took a serious blow against Va. Tech, falling 95-67. The Aggies were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 52-32.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Jahnathan Lamothe, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 11 rebounds. He continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Landon Glasper was another key player, earning 19 points in addition to two steals.
Liberty pushed their record up to 9-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. As for North Carolina A&T, their loss dropped their record down to 3-7.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as the two teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Liberty hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 77.2 points per game. However, it's not like North Carolina A&T struggles in that department as they've been averaging 76.2. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
Liberty beat North Carolina A&T 65-52 in their previous meeting back in March of 2018. Does Liberty have another victory up their sleeve, or will North Carolina A&T turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Odds
Liberty is a big 20.5-point favorite against North Carolina A&T, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Flames as a 20-point favorite.
The over/under is 144.5 points.
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Series History
Liberty won the only game these two teams have played in the last 6 years.
- Mar 12, 2018 - Liberty 65 vs. North Carolina A&T 52