- Matchup: Kennesaw State Owls vs Liberty Flames
- Date: Friday, January 2, 2026
- Venue: Liberty Arena, Lynchburg, VA
- Broadcast: ESPNU
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The Liberty Flames (9-3) are set to face off against the Kennesaw State Owls (8-4) at Liberty Arena this Friday.
In their previous outing, the Kennesaw State Owls faced Alabama, suffering a defeat with a score of 92-81. The Owls recorded 19 personal fouls, while Alabama had 16. Kennesaw State converted 10 out of 31 attempts from distance. Alabama shot 78.3% from the free-throw line, making 18 of 23 attempts. The Crimson Tide collected 35 rebounds (10 offensive and 25 defensive) and compiled 17 assists along with 8 steals. On the defensive side, Kennesaw allowed Alabama to shoot 43.8% from the field, allowing them to convert 32 of 73 shots. The Owls managed 13 assists, forced 7 turnovers, and earned 5 steals, while they secured 44 rebounds overall, including 15 offensive boards. At the charity stripe, Kennesaw State made 14 of 18 for a successful rate of 77.8%, ending the game with a shooting efficiency of 43.5% (30 of 69) and nailing 7 of their 23 three-point attempts.
Simeon Cottle emerged as a standout player during the match, scoring 20 points on 6 of 15 shooting with 2 rebounds and 1 assist in 31 minutes on the court, exhibiting a field goal percentage of 40.0%.
Kennesaw State comes into this contest holding an 8-4 record for the season, averaging an impressive 93.3 points per game (11th in D-1) with a shooting efficiency of 47.3%. They are sinking 34.9% of their three-point attempts (118 of 338) and hit 68.0% from the free-throw line. The Owls are also averaging 47.0 rebounds per game and have distributed 180 assists this season, placing them 214th in the nation for team assists. They are turning the ball over 13.3 times per game while committing an average of 21.2 personal fouls per contest.
Defensively, the Owls are forcing an average of 14.1 turnovers each game while racking up 20.8 personal fouls. Opponents are shooting 31.6% from three-point range against them, and they rank 248th in opponent scoring, allowing 76.0 points per game. Kennesaw is conceding a field goal percentage of 37.2% (280 out of 753) and averaging 35.7 rebounds defensively, ranking 13th in D-1 for assists allowed with a total of 118 on the year.
In their recent game, the Liberty Flames secured a close win against FIU, ending the night with a score of 97-94. Liberty gathered 18 defensive boards and 8 offensive boards for a total of 26 rebounds. The Flames turned the ball over 9 times while making 7 steals during the game. FIU committed 20 fouls, allowing Liberty 16 free throw attempts, of which they converted 12 for a success rate of 75.0%. From deep, Liberty made 15 of their 40 attempts, achieving a 37.5% three-point shooting rate. They shot an impressive 50.7% overall, hitting 35 out of 69 shots. The Flames permitted FIU to shoot 49.3% from the field, allowing 36 out of 73 attempts, and 35.3% from three-point range (6 out of 17), while concluding the game with 69.6% at the free throw line (16 of 23). Liberty allowed FIU to collect 44 rebounds in total, including 19 offensive boards.
Brett Decker Jr. made significant contributions for Liberty, scoring 27 points on 9 of 18 shooting, achieving a field goal percentage of 50.0% with 3 rebounds and 2 assists during his 41 minutes on the floor.
Liberty currently holds a 9-3 record this season. Offensively, the Flames are executing at an exceptional 53.0% from the field, ranking them 4th nationwide. They’ve scored 979 points this season (81.6 points per game) and average 31.5 rebounds per game. Liberty records 18.5 assists per game (ranking 30th in the nation) and has a low turnover average of 8.9 per game. They commit approximately 14.8 fouls per contest and currently bring in 63.1% from the free-throw line.
The Flames’ defensive strategy has them allowing 33.9% on three-point attempts (84 of 248), with opponents converting 72.8% of their free throws. Liberty gives up 11.7 assists and 33.1 rebounds per game, ranking 65th and 113th respectively in D-1. On defense, they are ranked 66th in the country for points allowed per game, permitting 67.7 points, while forcing an average of 11.8 turnovers and allowing teams to shoot 43.3% from the field (172nd in college basketball).
Who will come out on top in tonight’s NCAA matchup against the spread?
Prediction: Go with Kennesaw State
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