LYNCHBURG, Va. (Interstat) — The Liberty Flames used a dominant second-half offensive display to pull away from the College of Charleston Cougars for a 90-75 victory in a non-conference men’s basketball game Friday night at the Vines Center.

In a contest that was tight for the first 20 minutes, Liberty broke open a close game after halftime, outscoring Charleston 51-41 in the second period. The Flames improved to 2-0 on the young season, while the Cougars evened their record at 1-1.

Colin Porter led a balanced and efficient Liberty attack with 23 points. He was one of four Flames to score in double figures, joined by Brett Decker with 21 points and Kaden Metheny and Zach Cleveland with 18 points apiece. Cleveland also filled the stat sheet, narrowly missing a triple-double with 10 rebounds and eight assists.

The Cougars were paced by Martin Kalu’s 22 points and seven rebounds. Chol Machot added 18 points and nine rebounds for Charleston.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair with eight lead changes. The Cougars held a narrow 34-33 advantage with just over three minutes remaining before halftime, but Liberty closed the period on a 6-1 run to take a 39-34 lead into the break.

Liberty seized control immediately after halftime, opening the second period with a 13-4 run to build a 52-38 lead, a stretch from which Charleston never fully recovered. The Flames’ lead ballooned to as many as 19 points in the closing minutes.

The difference in the game was Liberty’s exceptional offensive execution and ball security. The Flames shot 54.2 percent from the field and an even more impressive 48.3 percent from three-point range, connecting on 14 of 29 attempts from beyond the arc. They also committed only five turnovers, which led to a decisive 21-4 advantage in points off turnovers.

Charleston shot a respectable 49.1 percent from the floor and 45.5 percent from three-point range, but their 12 turnovers proved costly against a Liberty team that capitalized on nearly every mistake.

A crowd of 3,998 watched the game, which saw the total score of 165 easily surpass the pregame over/under line of 150.5. Liberty, which was installed as a 7.5-point favorite, covered the spread. Interstat’s ELO system had given the Flames a 77.8 percent probability to win.

College of Charleston will have a quick turnaround, facing Florida Atlantic on Saturday, again in Lynchburg. Liberty’s next game is at home against Florida Atlantic on Sunday.