Liberty Flames at Kansas State Wildcats
· Paradise Jam
Porter scores 17, Ihnen 16 to help Liberty beat Kansas St. 69-67 in Paradise Jam semis
Kaden Metheny scored 13 points for the Flames. Zach Cleveland scored two points on 0-of-8 shooting but finished with nine rebounds and eight assists.
Brendan Hausen hit a jumper and Achor Achor scored in the paint to give Kansas State (4-2) a 63-62 lead with 2:31 to play. Porter answered with a 3-pointer 16 seconds later and Liberty led the rest of the way.
Owen Aquino hit two free throws to give the Flames a four-point lead with 50 seconds remaining and Coleman Hawkins scored in the lane to cut it to 67-65 just eight seconds later. After Metheny missed a layup on the other end, Dug McDaniel missed a clean look at a 3-point shot from the left wing, David N’Guessan missed a putback attempt and McDaniel missed a heave from 3-point range at the buzzer.
Hausen scored 14 points and Hawkins added 11 for Kansas State. N’Guessan and Achor scored 10 points apiece.
Liberty (6-1) plays McNeese in the championship, and the Wildcats take on Longwood in the third-place game, on Monday.
How can I watch Liberty vs. Kansas State?
Recent Plays
| 2nd 0:00 | End of Game | 67 - 65 |
| 2nd 0:00 | End of 2nd half | 67 - 65 |
| 2nd 0:00 | Dug McDaniel Offensive Rebound. | 67 - 65 |
| 2nd 0:00 | Kansas State Offensive Rebound. | 67 - 65 |
| 2nd 0:00 | Dug McDaniel missed Three Point Jumper. | 67 - 65 |
Statistics
 LIB |
 KSU |
|
|---|---|---|
| 24-53 | FG | 27-60 |
| 45 | Field Goal % | 45 |
| 9-20 | 3PT | 7-24 |
| 45 | Three Point % | 29 |
| 10-14 | FT | 4-5 |
| 71 | Free Throw % | 80 |
| 31 | Rebounds | 33 |
| 9 | Offensive Rebounds | 11 |
| 22 | Defensive Rebounds | 22 |
| 13 | Assists | 11 |
| 7 | Steals | 5 |
| 0 | Blocks | 2 |
| 13 | Turnovers | 13 |
| 1 | Team Turnovers | 1 |
| 13 | Total Turnovers | 13 |
| 0 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 24 | Points Off Turnovers | 11 |
| 6 | Fast Break Points | 5 |
| 30 | Points in Paint | 38 |
| 10 | Fouls | 11 |
| 8 | Largest Lead | 5 |
Game Information
Location: Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands
Attendance: 2,225 | Capacity:
2025-26 Conference USA Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 17-3 | - | 26-8 |
| Sam Houston | 13-7 | 4 | 22-12 |
| Louisiana Tech | 11-9 | 6 | 20-14 |
| Western Kentucky | 11-9 | 6 | 18-14 |
| Middle Tennessee | 11-9 | 6 | 17-15 |
| Kennesaw State | 10-10 | 7 | 21-14 |
| Jacksonville State | 10-10 | 7 | 15-17 |
| New Mexico State | 8-12 | 9 | 16-16 |
| Missouri State | 8-12 | 9 | 16-18 |
| Florida International | 8-12 | 9 | 15-17 |
| UTEP | 7-13 | 10 | 11-20 |
| Delaware | 6-14 | 11 | 10-21 |
2025-26 Big 12 Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 16-2 | - | 36-2 |
| Houston | 14-4 | 2 | 30-7 |
| Iowa State | 12-6 | 4 | 29-8 |
| Kansas | 12-6 | 4 | 24-11 |
| Texas Tech | 12-6 | 4 | 23-11 |
| TCU | 11-7 | 5 | 23-12 |
| BYU | 9-9 | 7 | 23-12 |
| UCF | 9-9 | 7 | 21-12 |
| West Virginia | 9-9 | 7 | 18-14 |
| Cincinnati | 9-9 | 7 | 18-15 |
| Colorado | 7-11 | 9 | 17-15 |
| Arizona State | 7-11 | 9 | 17-16 |
| Oklahoma State | 6-12 | 10 | 20-15 |
| Baylor | 6-12 | 10 | 16-16 |
| Kansas State | 3-15 | 13 | 12-20 |
| Utah | 2-16 | 14 | 10-22 |