Kennesaw State Owls (25-8) vs Liberty Flames (26-7)
Game Info: Sunday, March 5, 2023 at 3:00 pm (KSU Convocation Center)
Betting Odds: Kennesaw State Owls +4 -- Over/Under: 137.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Liberty Flames and the Kennesaw State will meet in the Atlantic Sun Championship at the KSU Convocation Court.
Liberty improved to 26-7 after defeating Eastern Kentucky in the semifinals. The Flames pulled away in the second half to advance with the six-point victory, 79-73. LU is scoring 75.5 points per game, while allowing 60.5 ppg, and shooting 47.9% from the floor.
Liberty picked up their fifth straight win when they downed EKU on Thursday, and they’ll look to return to the big Dance with a strong effort Sunday. Fifth-year senior Darius McGhee leads the charge for Liberty and he’s going out with a bang. The 5’9 guard has scored 27 points or more in five of the last six games, including a 43-point outburst against Kennesaw State last month. McGhee leads the ASUN in scoring at 22.8 ppg. Freshman guard Colin Porter went for a career-high 25 points in the win over EKU.
Kennesaw State moved to 25-8 after defeating Lipscomb in the semifinals. The Owls led at the break and held on to beat the Bisons by nine, 80-71. KSU is scoring 75.5 points per game, while allowing 69.0 ppg, and shooting 46.2% from the field.
Kennesaw State has been sharp since the turn of the year, and they’ll look defeat to Liberty for the second time in a month here. Junior guard Chris Youngblood scored 22 points in the first meeting with LU, and he leads the team in scoring (14.6). Senior guard Terrell Burden paced the team with 20 points in the win over Lipscomb, and he’s up to 13.3 ppg and a team-lead 4.2 apg. Senior forward Demond Robinson scored a game-high 24 points in the first round win over Queens, and he’s averaging 11.1 ppg and 5.6 rpg.
Kennesaw is 19-10-1 against the spread this season, with a 17-11-2 over/under record. Liberty is 17-12-1 ATS this year, with a 16-14 o/u record.
This has the elements to be a great conference championship game, and I believe we will receive one. LU guard Darius McGhee represents one of the best scorers in the country, and after lighting KSU up for 43 points in the first meeting, you can bet he’s going to give them another run for their money. Kennesaw State will have the blessing of hosting the title game, so I’ll sway away from my VA ties with Liberty’s margin, and trust the competitive element here. Take the over for the Atlantic Sun Championship game.
Corey’s Pick Over 137.5
AUTHOR: Corey Ghee
Mitch's Take...
