Liberty boys basketball edges out archrival Century, 55-53
Despite winning their last two games and, to some, starting to play their best basketball of the season, nothing else mattered to Liberty boys basketball other than the rematch with its archrival on its home floor.
“It’s the game,” Liberty coach George Sinnott said. “Records get thrown out the window and you just play.”
While records may get tossed aside, the sting of an 18-point loss does not. Liberty rebounded from its disappointing showing in the first meeting, responding with a 55-53 win Wednesday night.
“We had something to play for tonight,” Sinnott said. “All week long, our message was that we needed to get back to doing the things we need to do to win the ball game.”
The message came through loud and clear and multiple Lions stepped up from the opening tip. Rivalry games demand an all-hands-on-deck mentality, and Liberty delivered early with six players scoring as the Lions carried the lead after one quarter.
Sinnott’s five starters got a lift from Noah Gitau, whose talent is well known among the Liberty fanbase. Gitau and Ben Krauss made major contributions off the bench, each knocking down timely shots that energized the home crowd.
“Noah is a guy who likes to come off the bench and bring energy,” Sinnott said. “We always say we have six starters because we know how much he brings to the table for us.”
Determined not to fall behind by double digits, Century turned up the intensity. The Knights chipped away at the deficit as what looked like it could become a blowout quickly shifted into the back-and-forth slugfest the Liberty-Century rivalry is known for.
Nate Brown (game-high 18 points) traded the six 3-pointers he hit in the first matchup for a pair of savvy midrange jumpers, while Braden Davis and Brayden Zmarzly battled inside as expected. Even after Brown exited for a long stretch in the second quarter with his second foul, and Century trailing by five, the Knights held Liberty scoreless for more than four minutes, forcing a deadlock at halftime.
“Anybody can win any game at any time,” Liberty’s Brady Bergen said. “We knew it was going to be a hard contest and that we would have to dig deep.”
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Liberty opened the second half with renewed energy and, most importantly, offensive efficiency. Bergen and Gavin Speace shook off the late-second-quarter lull and came out firing, turning defensive stops into quick buckets. Bergen finished with a team-high 13 points, while Speace added 12.
“He brings it every night,” Sinnott said of Bergen. “He’s been playing really well lately. You never have to coach effort when it comes to him.”
With less than a second remaining in the third quarter, Sinnott again trusted Speace, who buried a corner 3-pointer to send the Lions into the fourth with momentum.
Throughout the night, Bergen did a little bit of everything. When Speace was face-guarded, Bergen shared ballhandling duties with Ryan Clapper. When Liberty needed someone to contain Brown, Bergen answered the call, combining gritty defense with efficient offense to guide the Lions down the stretch.
“When we’re defending and rebounding, it sets the table for everything else,” Bergen said with a smile. “We have a bunch of guys who can come off the bench and score, rebound and play good defense.”
As Liberty worked to close out the game at the free-throw line, Speace went 1 for 2, followed by Clapper with the same result. With one final play needed, Bergen soared for what may have been the game’s biggest moment — an offensive rebound in the closing seconds.
“It felt really good coming down with that one,” Bergen said. “We know everyone on our team can score so for us, it usually comes down to rebounding.”
Bergen rose again moments later, converting three free throws to secure a win that felt eerily familiar to those who have been around the program.
Last season, a tough, gritty victory like this was enough to spark a run in which saw Liberty win 13 of its final 15 regular-season games, capture a regional title and advance to the state semifinals for the first time in school history.
Sinnott insists this year’s group has its own identity and mindset. Still, Liberty’s tradition of playing its best basketball late in the season remains intact. The roster may look different, but the talent and buy-in are still there. And after a rivalry win like Wednesday’s, the Lions carry renewed confidence into the stretch run.
“These kids feel like they have something to prove,” Sinnott said. “We can beat any team on our schedule.”
Have a news tip? Contact Timothy Dashiell at tdashiell@baltsun.comand x.com/dashielltimothy.
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