Game Notes: Jacksonville State | Liberty

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Jacksonville State men's basketball is set for the premier matchup in the ASUN Conference this season, visiting defending champion Liberty on Saturday night.
 
The Gamecocks and Flames enter with identical 14-6 overall records, with the two teams remaining as the final unbeaten squads in league play. JSU owns a 7-0 conference mark, the best in its Division I era, while Liberty enters at 5-0 after Covid-19 issues have delayed some of their contests.
 
Aiming to end the nation's second-longest home-winning streak at 45 games, Jax State couldn't arrive in Lynchburg, Va., as a hotter team. The Gamecocks have won a program Division I record nine-straight games and have five players averaging double-digit scoring during that span. Leading scorer Darian Adams registered a game-high 22 points in Thursday's win at Kennesaw State, while senior Jalen Gibbs and junior Demaree King continue to be among the best three-point threats in the country. As a team, JSU is tied for second nationally shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc. That potent offense will be put to the test facing a Flame defense that ranks 13th in Division I basketball in limiting opponents to less than 60 points per game.
 
In the post, senior Brandon Huffman is shooting above 64 percent this season and is coming off his third double-double of the year with 11 points and 10 boards against the Owls. While Huffman leads his squad in rebounding, senior Kayne Henry is right there as well with 5.1 rebounds per game as he continues to climb JSU's Division I career rebounding list. From inside-out, JSU's offense flows through junior Jalen Finch, who finished with eight assists on Thursday.
 
Across the way, JSU will be tasked with slowing down the 2021 ASUN Player of the Year and 2022 Preseason Player of the Year in Darius McGhee. The conference's leading scorer at 22 points per game ranks in the top five nationally in several offensive categories, including three-pointers made.
 
As the only regular-season meeting of the year, Saturday's contest could prove decisive at the end of the season should conference championship and/or tournament hosting rights come into play. The 2022 ASUN basketball tournament will be played at campus sites with the best seed hosting each round.
 
While Saturday's marquee matchup will be the first-ever between JSU and Liberty on the hardwood, it hardly seems to be the last. Both schools will make the jump from the ASUN to Conference USA for the 2023-24 athletic year, setting the stage for regular meetings.
 
Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET/6:00 CT from Liberty Arena. Coverage will stream on ESPN+, with radio play-by-play available over the Gamecock Sports Network.