NALAB

LIB

Liberty beats N. Alabama 79-75 for third straight ASUN title

AP
Mar 07, 2021

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) Darius McGhee scored 21 points and eight rebounds and top-seeded Liberty Flames held on for a 79-75 win over North Alabama Lions on Sunday in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament championship game.

Liberty (23-5), which has won 12 consecutive games, has won each of the last three ASUN regular season and tournament titles - the first program to in conference history to do so.

Kyle Rode made 6 of 8 from the field, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range, and finished with 15 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Flames.

Mervin James hit a 3-pointer to give North Alabama (13-11) its first lead of the game at 70-69 with 4:23 to play but McGhee answered with a 3 and the Flames led the rest of the way.

James finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. C.J. Brim added 15 points, Payton Youngblood had 14 points and four steals, and Jamari Blackmon scored 11 for the fifth-seeded Lions.

North Alabama reached the title game for the first time since beginning its transition to Division I in the 2018-19 season. The Lions won two national championships, made five Final Four appearances and advanced to the Elite 8 eight times at the D-II level.

Liberty went into the game assured of a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Lions are ineligible until they complete their four-year transition to D-I.

Blake Preston and Keegan McDowell scored 10 points apiece for Liberty.

The Flames led by as many as 12 points and had a 56-45 lead with 13 minutes to play. North Alabama made 9 of 12 from the field, including 3 of 3 from behind the arc, and had three steals during a 25-13 spurt over the next eight minutes.

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1st Half
UNA
Lions
31
LIB
Flames
41

Time		Play	Score
20:00		(Flames gains possession)
19:46		C.J. Brim shooting foul (Darius McGhee draws the foul)
19:46	+1	Darius McGhee makes regular free throw 1 of 3	0-1
19:46	+1	Darius McGhee makes regular free throw 2 of 3	0-2
19:46	+1	Darius McGhee makes regular free throw 3 of 3	0-3
19:35		Elijah Cuffee shooting foul (Jamari Blackmon draws the foul)
19:35	+1	Jamari Blackmon makes regular free throw 1 of 2	1-3
19:35		Jamari Blackmon misses regular free throw 2 of 2
19:35		Blake Preston defensive rebound
19:12	+2	Chris Parker makes two point layup	1-5
18:59		Mervin James misses two point jump shot
18:57		Blake Preston defensive rebound
18:49	+3	Darius McGhee makes three point jump shot (Kyle Rode assists)	1-8
18:37		Mervin James misses two point jump shot
18:35		Darius McGhee defensive rebound
18:07	+2	Kyle Rode makes two point layup	1-10
18:07		Lions 30 second timeout
17:58	+2	Jamari Blackmon makes two point jump shot	3-10
17:30		Jamari Blackmon blocks Chris Parker's three point jump shot
17:28		Blake Preston offensive rebound
17:25		Blake Preston turnover (lost ball) (Payton Youngblood steals)
17:14		Payton Youngblood misses three point jump shot
17:12		Darius McGhee defensive rebound
17:01	+3	Kyle Rode makes three point jump shot (Darius McGhee assists)	3-13
16:42		Mervin James offensive foul
16:42		Mervin James turnover
16:42		Kyle Rode turnover
16:11		Mervin James misses three point jump shot
16:09		Keegan McDowell defensive rebound
16:07		Kyle Rode turnover (bad pass) (Payton Youngblood steals)
15:51		Jamari Blackmon misses three point jump shot
15:49		Chris Parker defensive rebound
15:36		Chris Parker misses two point jump shot
15:34		Emanuel Littles defensive rebound
14:48	+3	Payton Youngblood makes three point jump shot (Detalian Brown assists)	6-13
14:38		Blake Preston misses two point layup
14:36		Payton Youngblood defensive rebound
14:24	+3	Detalian Brown makes three point jump shot	9-13
14:11	+2	Chris Parker makes two point jump shot	9-15
13:52		Detalian Brown misses three point jump shot
13:50		Detalian Brown offensive rebound
13:27		Mervin James misses three point jump shot
13:25		Blake Preston defensive rebound
13:21		Payton Youngblood personal foul
13:21		TV timeout
13:04	+3	Elijah Cuffee makes three point jump shot (Drake Dobbs assists)	9-18
12:36		Payton Youngblood misses three point jump shot
12:34		Flames defensive rebound
12:12	+2	Drake Dobbs makes two point jump shot	9-20
12:00		Payton Youngblood turnover (bad pass) (Kyle Rode steals)
11:38		Shiloh Robinson misses two point jump shot
11:36		Payton Youngblood defensive rebound
11:24	+3	Detalian Brown makes three point jump shot	12-20
10:47		Aleksa Matic blocks Keegan McDowell's three point jump shot
10:47		Flames turnover (shot clock violation)
10:39		Detalian Brown misses three point jump shot
10:39		Detalian Brown misses three point jump shot
10:37		Darius McGhee defensive rebound
10:16		Darius McGhee misses two point jump shot
10:14		Drake Dobbs offensive rebound
10:10	+2	Shiloh Robinson makes two point layup	12-22
9:50		Keegan McDowell shooting foul (James Anderson II draws the foul)
9:50		James Anderson II misses regular free throw 1 of 2
9:50	+1	James Anderson II makes regular free throw 2 of 2	13-22
9:50	+1	James Anderson II makes regular free throw 2 of 2	13-22
9:30	+2	Darius McGhee makes two point layup (Elijah Cuffee assists)	13-24
9:19	+2	James Anderson II makes two point jump shot	15-24
9:05		Keegan McDowell misses three point jump shot
9:03		Detalian Brown defensive rebound
8:42		Isaac Chatman misses two point jump shot
8:40		Keegan McDowell defensive rebound
8:23	+2	Keegan McDowell makes two point jump shot (Drake Dobbs assists)	15-26
8:07	+3	C.J. Brim makes three point jump shot (Isaac Chatman assists)	18-26
7:56	+2	Drake Dobbs makes two point layup	18-28
7:56		TV timeout
7:48		Jamari Blackmon misses three point jump shot
7:46		Elijah Cuffee defensive rebound
7:25		Elijah Cuffee misses three point jump shot
7:23		Mervin James defensive rebound
7:04		Mervin James turnover (lost ball) (Darius McGhee steals)
6:58	+2	Darius McGhee makes two point layup (Chris Parker assists)	18-30
6:47		Chris Parker shooting foul (C.J. Brim draws the foul)
6:47	+1	C.J. Brim makes regular free throw 1 of 2	19-30
6:47	+1	C.J. Brim makes regular free throw 2 of 2	20-30
6:39		Mervin James personal foul (Chris Parker draws the foul)
6:30		Payton Youngblood blocks Blake Preston's two point layup
6:28		Flames offensive rebound
6:20		Darius McGhee misses three point jump shot
6:18		Mervin James defensive rebound
6:13	+2	Mervin James makes two point jump shot	22-30
5:52	+2	Blake Preston makes two point layup (Darius McGhee assists)	22-32
5:40		Payton Youngblood offensive foul (Chris Parker draws the foul)
5:40		Payton Youngblood turnover
5:30		Drake Dobbs misses three point jump shot
5:28		Blake Preston offensive rebound
5:26		Blake Preston misses two point tip shot
5:24		Emanuel Littles defensive rebound
5:13		Darius McGhee shooting foul (Jamari Blackmon draws the foul)
5:13	+1	Jamari Blackmon makes regular free throw 1 of 2	23-32
5:13	+1	Jamari Blackmon makes regular free throw 2 of 2	24-32
4:53		Elijah Cuffee misses three point jump shot
4:51		C.J. Brim defensive rebound
4:26		Mervin James misses two point jump shot
4:24		Darius McGhee defensive rebound
4:13		Kyle Rode misses three point jump shot
4:11		Jonathan Breeland Jr. defensive rebound
4:04		Emanuel Littles turnover (out of bounds)
3:50	+3	Keegan McDowell makes three point jump shot (Kyle Rode assists)	24-35
3:33	+3	Jamari Blackmon makes three point jump shot (Jonathan Breeland Jr. assists)	27-35
3:09		Darius McGhee misses two point layup
3:07		Emanuel Littles defensive rebound
2:57		Emanuel Littles turnover (traveling)
2:57		TV timeout
2:45		Isaac Chatman blocks Kyle Rode's two point layup
2:43		Flames offensive rebound
2:36		Isaac Chatman personal foul (Chris Parker draws the foul)
2:27		Chris Parker misses two point jump shot
2:25		Mervin James defensive rebound
2:12		Darius McGhee blocks C.J. Brim's two point layup
2:10		Kyle Rode defensive rebound
1:53	+3	Darius McGhee makes three point jump shot (Chris Parker assists)	27-38
1:33	+2	Mervin James makes two point jump shot	29-38
1:18		Keegan McDowell misses three point jump shot
1:16		Jamari Blackmon defensive rebound
1:02		C.J. Brim misses three point jump shot
1:00		Mervin James offensive rebound
0:55		Mervin James misses two point layup
0:53		Kyle Rode defensive rebound
0:04	+2	C.J. Brim makes two point layup	31-41
0:40	+3	Kyle Rode makes three point jump shot (Chris Parker assists)	29-41
0:11		Kyle Rode personal foul (C.J. Brim draws the foul)
0:09		Isiah Warfield personal foul (C.J. Brim draws the foul)
0:04	+2	C.J. Brim makes two point layup	31-41
0:04		Drake Dobbs shooting foul (C.J. Brim draws the foul)
0:04		C.J. Brim misses regular free throw 1 of 1
0:04		Kyle Rode defensive rebound
0:01		Darius McGhee misses three point jump shot
0:00		End of period

2nd Half
UNA
Lions
44
LIB
Flames
38

Time		Play	Score
19:45		Jamari Blackmon misses three point jump shot
19:43		Kyle Rode defensive rebound
19:30		C.J. Brim personal foul
19:15		Chris Parker misses three point jump shot
19:13		Payton Youngblood defensive rebound
18:58	+2	Payton Youngblood makes two point layup	33-41
18:39	+2	Kyle Rode makes two point jump shot	33-43
18:22	+2	Payton Youngblood makes two point jump shot	35-43
18:08		Darius McGhee misses three point jump shot
18:06		Mervin James defensive rebound
17:59		Mervin James misses two point jump shot
17:57		Darius McGhee defensive rebound
17:36		Payton Youngblood shooting foul (Blake Preston draws the foul)
17:36	+1	Blake Preston makes regular free throw 1 of 2	35-44
17:36	+1	Blake Preston makes regular free throw 2 of 2	35-45
17:27	+3	Jamari Blackmon makes three point jump shot	38-45
16:53		Darius McGhee misses two point layup
16:51		Elijah Cuffee offensive rebound
16:42	+2	Elijah Cuffee makes two point tip shot	38-47
16:36	+2	Mervin James makes two point jump shot (C.J. Brim assists)	40-47
16:03		Emanuel Littles shooting foul (Blake Preston draws the foul)
16:03	+1	Blake Preston makes regular free throw 1 of 2	40-48
16:03	+1	Blake Preston makes regular free throw 2 of 2	40-49
15:50		Jamari Blackmon misses three point jump shot
15:48		Chris Parker defensive rebound
15:35	+3	Keegan McDowell makes three point jump shot (Blake Preston assists)	40-52
15:27	+3	Mervin James makes three point jump shot (Detalian Brown assists)	43-52
15:27		Lions 30 second timeout
15:27		TV timeout
14:59	+2	Keegan McDowell makes two point jump shot (Kyle Rode assists)	43-54
14:38	+2	Emanuel Littles makes two point hook shot	45-54
14:21	+2	Chris Parker makes two point layup	45-56
13:52		Payton Youngblood misses two point jump shot
13:50		Chris Parker defensive rebound
13:40		Chris Parker misses three point jump shot
13:38		Mervin James defensive rebound
13:26		Payton Youngblood misses two point hook shot
13:24		Shiloh Robinson defensive rebound
13:03		Keegan McDowell misses two point jump shot
13:01		Payton Youngblood defensive rebound
12:56		Chris Parker personal foul
12:56		TV timeout
12:48		Payton Youngblood misses three point jump shot
12:46		Elijah Cuffee defensive rebound
12:25		Chris Parker misses two point jump shot
12:23		Payton Youngblood defensive rebound
12:18		Shiloh Robinson personal foul
12:16	+3	James Anderson II makes three point jump shot (Payton Youngblood assists)	48-56
12:03		Elijah Cuffee turnover (bad pass) (Payton Youngblood steals)
11:38		TV timeout
11:33	+2	C.J. Brim makes two point layup	50-56
11:00		Blake Preston misses two point layup
10:58		Blake Preston offensive rebound
10:53	+2	Blake Preston makes two point layup	50-58
10:34		Elijah Cuffee shooting foul (Payton Youngblood draws the foul)
10:34	+1	Payton Youngblood makes regular free throw 1 of 2	51-58
10:34	+1	Payton Youngblood makes regular free throw 2 of 2	52-58
10:15		Darius McGhee misses three point jump shot
10:13		Blake Preston offensive rebound
10:08		Blake Preston misses two point layup
10:06		Kyle Rode offensive rebound
10:00	+2	Kyle Rode makes two point layup	52-60
9:55		James Anderson II misses two point jump shot
9:53		Darius McGhee defensive rebound
9:38		Elijah Cuffee misses three point jump shot
9:36		Detalian Brown defensive rebound
9:28	+3	C.J. Brim makes three point jump shot (Detalian Brown assists)	55-60
9:16		Flames 30 second timeout
9:04		Kyle Rode turnover (bad pass) (Payton Youngblood steals)
9:10	+2	Payton Youngblood makes two point layup (Detalian Brown assists)	57-60
8:59		Drake Dobbs shooting foul (Payton Youngblood draws the foul)
8:59	+1	Payton Youngblood makes regular free throw 1 of 1	58-60
8:45		Payton Youngblood shooting foul (Elijah Cuffee draws the foul)
8:45	+1	Elijah Cuffee makes regular free throw 1 of 2	58-61
8:45	+1	Elijah Cuffee makes regular free throw 2 of 2	58-62
8:33	+2	Mervin James makes two point layup (C.J. Brim assists)	60-62
8:20		Keegan McDowell turnover (lost ball) (Mervin James steals)
8:20		Keegan McDowell personal foul
8:03	+2	Isaac Chatman makes two point layup	62-62
7:40		Drake Dobbs offensive foul
7:40		Drake Dobbs turnover
7:40		TV timeout
7:29		C.J. Brim misses two point layup
7:27		Darius McGhee defensive rebound
7:04	+3	Darius McGhee makes three point jump shot	62-65
6:51	+3	Detalian Brown makes three point jump shot (Isaac Chatman assists)	65-65
6:30		Isaac Chatman blocks Chris Parker's two point layup
6:28		Mervin James defensive rebound
6:15		Isaac Chatman misses two point layup
6:13		Kyle Rode defensive rebound
6:01		Shiloh Robinson offensive foul
6:01		Shiloh Robinson turnover
5:49		Jamari Blackmon turnover (bad pass)
5:27	+2	Darius McGhee makes two point jump shot (Kyle Rode assists)	65-67
5:07	+2	Mervin James makes two point jump shot (Emanuel Littles assists)	67-67
4:42		Emanuel Littles shooting foul (Blake Preston draws the foul)
4:42	+1	Blake Preston makes regular free throw 1 of 2	67-68
4:42	+1	Blake Preston makes regular free throw 2 of 2	67-69
4:24	+3	Mervin James makes three point jump shot (Jamari Blackmon assists)	70-69
4:01	+3	Darius McGhee makes three point jump shot (Chris Parker assists)	70-72
3:31		Emanuel Littles misses two point layup
3:29		Blake Preston defensive rebound
3:05	+2	Elijah Cuffee makes two point layup (Kyle Rode assists)	70-74
2:55		Lions 30 second timeout
2:55		TV timeout
2:37	+2	Payton Youngblood makes two point layup	72-74
2:07		Chris Parker misses two point jump shot
2:05		Chris Parker offensive rebound
2:04		Emanuel Littles personal foul
2:04		Flames 30 second timeout
1:53		Elijah Cuffee misses two point jump shot
1:51		Payton Youngblood defensive rebound
1:24		C.J. Brim turnover (traveling)
1:04	+3	Kyle Rode makes three point jump shot (Blake Preston assists)	72-77
0:44		Jamari Blackmon misses three point jump shot
0:42		Mervin James offensive rebound
0:32		C.J. Brim turnover (lost ball) (Darius McGhee steals)
0:32		Payton Youngblood personal foul (Elijah Cuffee draws the foul)
0:32		Elijah Cuffee misses regular free throw 1 of 1
0:32		Emanuel Littles defensive rebound
0:24		Mervin James misses three point jump shot
0:22		C.J. Brim offensive rebound
0:16		Jamari Blackmon misses three point jump shot
0:14		Lions offensive rebound
0:12	+3	C.J. Brim makes three point jump shot (Jamari Blackmon assists)	75-77
0:12		Lions 30 second timeout
0:11		Mervin James personal foul (Chris Parker draws the foul)
0:11	+1	Chris Parker makes regular free throw 1 of 2	75-78
0:11	+1	Chris Parker makes regular free throw 2 of 2	75-79
0:02		Mervin James misses three point jump shot
0:00		Darius McGhee defensive rebound
0:00		End of period

Darius McGhee defensive rebound