LYNCHBURG, Va. (Interstat) — Liberty used a dominant first half to cruise past Florida Atlantic 88-68 in a men’s NCAA Division I basketball game Sunday at Vines Center. The Flames improved to 3-0, while the Owls fell to 2-1.

Liberty built a commanding 48-30 lead by halftime and maintained control throughout the second half before a crowd of 3,722. The Flames’ offense was efficient, scoring 38 points in the paint and capitalizing on 12 points off turnovers. Florida Atlantic’s 11 fastbreak points were not enough to mount a comeback against the pregame favorites, who covered the spread as the game’s total score went under the projected over/under line.