LYNCHBURG, Va. (Interstat) — Liberty defeated Sam Houston 79-72 in a Conference USA men’s basketball game Saturday at Vines Center. The Flames used efficient scoring, led by Zach Cleveland’s 19 points and nine assists, to overcome a strong second-half push from the Bearkats.

Liberty built a 10-point halftime lead behind 41 first-half points and 14 made 3-pointers in the game. Sam Houston’s Veljko Ilic scored a game-high 21 points, fueling a second-half effort that narrowed the gap, but Liberty made critical free throws late to seal the win before an attendance of 3,523. Liberty improved to 25-6, while Sam Houston fell to 21-10.