LYNCHBURG, Va. (Interstat) — In a pivotal late-season Conference USA clash defined by offensive execution and a decisive closing run, the Liberty Flames outlasted the Sam Houston Bearkats 79-72 on Saturday at Vines Center.

The victory improved Liberty’s record to 25-6 overall, while Sam Houston moved to 21-10. The game, played before a crowd of 3,523, saw the Flames leverage a superior three-point shooting performance and a critical late-game sequence to sweep the season series.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the final minute, with Liberty protecting a narrow lead. Clinging to a 75-72 advantage after Sam Houston’s Damon Nicholas converted a layup with nine seconds remaining, the Flames’ Colin Porter was fouled immediately. The sophomore guard from Ashland, Kentucky, calmly sank both free throws with five seconds left to extend the lead to five points. On the ensuing inbound play, Sam Houston’s Kashie Natt committed a foul, sending Liberty’s Brett Decker to the line. Decker also made both attempts, sealing the seven-point victory and extinguishing the Bearkats’ final hopes.

Liberty established control early behind a torrent of three-pointers, building a 41-31 halftime lead. The Flames connected on 8 of 18 attempts from beyond the arc in the first half, with Kaden Metheny and Brett Decker each hitting two. Sam Houston, meanwhile, struggled to find an early rhythm from deep despite finishing the game a efficient 8-for-16 from three-point range.

The Bearkats mounted a persistent second-half challenge, primarily through the interior dominance of forward Veljko Ilic. The 6-foot-10 junior from Serbia scored 15 of his team-high 21 points after halftime, powering a Sam Houston attack that finished with a 40-28 advantage in points in the paint. The Bearkats also dominated the offensive glass, grabbing 15 rebounds to Liberty’s 6, which led to 18 second-chance points.

Each time Sam Houston closed the gap, Liberty answered. A key sequence occurred with just over six minutes remaining and Liberty leading 65-62. After a Sam Houston turnover, the Flames’ Zach Cleveland found Zander Yates for a three-pointer to push the lead back to six. Sam Houston’s Damon Nicholas answered with a three of his own, but on the next possession, Cleveland drove for a layup to maintain a five-point cushion and force a Bearkats timeout.

Cleveland, a 6-foot-7 junior from Bloomington, Illinois, was the orchestrator for Liberty, delivering a standout performance with 19 points and 9 assists. His facilitation was crucial as the Flames recorded an offensive rating of 127.0 on 62 possessions, outpacing Sam Houston’s 115.9. Cleveland’s ability to penetrate and find shooters helped Liberty finish 14 of 36 from three-point range, while Sam Houston managed just 28 of 62 shooting from the floor overall.

Liberty’s backcourt provided consistent scoring support. Brett Decker scored 16 points, all from three-pointers and free throws. Kaden Metheny added 14 points and 4 assists, and Colin Porter contributed 15 points, including the clinching free throws.

For Sam Houston, Ilic’s 21-point effort on 10-of-19 shooting was complemented by 13 points from Jacob Walker and 11 from Kashie Natt. The Bearkats’ ball movement was limited, however, as they finished with only 2 total assists.

Defensively, Liberty recorded 5 blocks and 3 steals, with Cleveland and Josh Smith each contributing a block. The teams were even with 8 turnovers apiece, but Liberty converted theirs into a slight 11-7 edge in fastbreak points.

The game carried significance in the Conference USA standings as both teams positioned themselves for the upcoming conference tournament. Liberty entered as a 4.5-point favorite according to sportsbooks, and the combined score of 151 fell under the pregame over/under line of 156.5.

With the win, Liberty concluded its regular season home schedule on a high note, while Sam Houston looks to regroup after a hard-fought road loss against one of the conference’s top teams.