LYNCHBURG, Va. (Interstat) — Liberty used a strong first half to build a lead and held on to defeat Kennesaw State 81-73 in a Conference USA men’s basketball game Friday night at Vines Center.

The Flames improved to 10-3 overall by taking a 46-33 halftime advantage. The Owls, now 8-5, outscored Liberty 40-35 after the break but could not overcome the early deficit. Liberty was projected as a heavy favorite and covered the pregame spread in front of a crowd of 3,415. The game was the conference opener for both teams.