Kaden Metheny scored 21 points and Taelon Peter added 20, and top-seeded Liberty pulled away early in the second half to beat No. 2 seed Jacksonville State 79-67 on for its first Conference USA Tournament title.

Watch as the No. 1 seed Liberty Flames (27-6, 13-5 CUSA) look to earn CUSA championship and a guaranteed spot in the NCAA Tournament bracket when they meet the No. 2 Jacksonville State Gamecocks

Liberty did not have the greatest shooting performance, just 30 percent. But defensively they did enough to affect change while Bella Smuda and Emma Hess combined for 24 points. Smuda recorded a double-double, 10 and 13. The Flames built a 41-30 lead towards the end of the third quarter.

In a rematch of the 2024 CUSA Women's Basketball Championship title game, No. 1 seed Liberty turned the tables on two-time defending champion No. 2 seed Middle

Emma Hess drilled a deep 3-pointer with more than a minute left to give Liberty a six-point lead and added a pair of free throws in the closing seconds to secure a 53-48 win over Middle Tennessee on Saturday as the Flames claimed the Conference USA tournament championship and earned a berth in the NCAA tournament.