The Liberty Flames clinched a pivotal 76-69 victory over the UTEP Miners on Saturday, fueled by a stunning 23-point performance from reserve guard Taelon Peter. The win strengthens Liberty’s position in Conference USA (9-4) while dealing a blow to UTEP’s postseason hopes.
Peter dominated the second half, scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in just 22 minutes. His energy changed the game, said Liberty coach Mike Jones postgame. Owen Aquino added a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds), while Kaden Metheny’s clutch three-pointers kept momentum in Liberty’s favor.
UTEP’s Otis Frazier III (16 points, 2 blocks) and David Terrell Jr. (10 points, 7 assists) fought hard, but the Miners struggled against Liberty’s 42-34 rebounding edge. Critical turnovers in the final five minutes sealed UTEP’s fate.
Key factors in Liberty’s win:
- +8 rebound differential despite shooting 41.2% from the field
- 22 bench points vs. UTEP’s 9
- 4/5 second-chance buckets in crunch time
With this victory, the Flames (21-5) move closer to securing a first-round bye in the C-USA Tournament. They face Florida International next Saturday. UTEP (17-8) must regroup quickly before Thursday’s road test at Kennesaw State.