Liberty Flames Defeat Sam Houston Bearkats 82-74
Saturday, January 10, 2026, 3:30 PM ET · Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum
Liberty Flames 82, Sam Houston Bearkats 74, final. Our NCAAB picks are sealed as a hash before kickoff and settled in public, losses included.
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Quick answers
Who won Liberty Flames vs Sam Houston Bearkats?
Liberty Flames beat Sam Houston Bearkats 82-74 at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum on January 10, 2026.
The Liberty Flames secured an 82-74 victory against the Sam Houston Bearkats in a closely contested NCAAB matchup at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum. This win extends Liberty's impressive streak to six consecutive victories, showcasing their strong form as they continue to build momentum in the season. The Flames now hold a record of 14-3, while the Bearkats fall to 9-8 after this defeat.
In terms of recent performance, the Bearkats had a mixed record, going 6-4 in their last ten games, with an average of 85.3 points scored and 76.1 points allowed. They had just come off a win against the Delaware Blue Hens, where they triumphed 72-60 on January 9, 2026. However, their overall form has been inconsistent, with losses to teams like Middle Tennessee and New Mexico State in their previous outings. At home, Sam Houston has been slightly more successful, boasting a 2-0 record in their last two home games.
On the other hand, Liberty's recent form has been quite strong, with a 7-3 record in their last ten games and an impressive scoring average of 75.7 points while allowing 69.1 points. Their latest victory came against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, where they won 72-56 on January 9, 2026. Liberty's away record stands at 4-1, demonstrating their ability to perform well outside their home venue.
Historically, this matchup has favored Liberty, who now leads the head-to-head record 2-0 against Sam Houston. In their previous encounters, the Flames defeated the Bearkats 76-68 at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum on January 10, 2025, and again by a narrow margin of 64-61 on February 8, 2025.
In terms of injuries, the block did not provide specific details on player absences, but both teams appeared to be at full strength for this encounter. The betting market reflected a competitive matchup, with DraftKings setting Liberty as a slight favorite with a spread of 1.5 points and a total of 154.5 points for the game.
The game conditions were conducive to an exciting matchup, with both teams showcasing their offensive capabilities. Viewers were treated to a thrilling second half, where the Flames maintained their lead through key scoring plays, including a layup by Justin Begg and crucial free throws from Kashie Natt and Colin Porter. The Bearkats made a valiant effort to close the gap, but ultimately fell short.
Overall, this game highlighted Liberty's current form and their ability to perform under pressure, while Sam Houston will need to regroup and address their inconsistencies moving forward.
Odds
| Book | Spread | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | LIB -1.5 | 154.5 o -108 / u -112 | Liberty Flames -110 · Sam Houston Bearkats -110 |
Leaders
- PointsKashie Natt20Sam Houston Bearkats
- AssistsJustin Begg6Sam Houston Bearkats
- ReboundsKashie Natt8Sam Houston Bearkats
- PointsZach Cleveland23Liberty Flames
- AssistsZach Cleveland10Liberty Flames
- ReboundsZach Cleveland7Liberty Flames
Recent form
Sam Houston Bearkats
Last 10: 6-4Streak W185.3 scored · 76.1 allowed per game2-0 at home
- W72-60vs Delaware Blue HensJan 9
- L67-68at Middle Tennessee Blue RaidersJan 4
- L91-102at Western Kentucky HilltoppersJan 2
- W117-57vs College of Biblical Studies AmbassadorsDec 28
- L78-87at New Mexico State AggiesDec 21
- W85-75at Oregon State BeaversDec 18
- W82-70at Texas Southern TigersDec 6
- L83-93at Oklahoma State CowboysDec 3
- W94-68at Idaho VandalsNov 29
- W84-81at Idaho State BengalsNov 26
Liberty Flames
Last 10: 7-3Streak W675.7 scored · 69.1 allowed per game3-2 away
- W72-56at Louisiana Tech BulldogsJan 9
- W78-69vs Jacksonville State GamecocksJan 4
- W81-73vs Kennesaw State OwlsJan 3
- W97-94at Florida International PanthersDec 28
- W64-61at Dayton FlyersDec 20
- W95-57vs Midway EaglesDec 16
- L45-85at NC State WolfpackDec 11
- W92-50vs Coppin State EaglesDec 6
- L64-74at Bradley BravesNov 26
- L69-72vs Towson TigersNov 25
Standings
| Team | Overall | Games behind | In conference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 26-8 | - | 17-3 |
| Sam Houston | 22-12 | 4 | 13-7 |
| Louisiana Tech | 20-14 | 6 | 11-9 |
| Western Kentucky | 18-14 | 6 | 11-9 |
| Middle Tennessee | 17-15 | 6 | 11-9 |
| Kennesaw State | 21-14 | 7 | 10-10 |
| Jacksonville State | 15-17 | 7 | 10-10 |
| New Mexico State | 16-16 | 9 | 8-12 |
| Missouri State | 16-18 | 9 | 8-12 |
| Florida International | 15-17 | 9 | 8-12 |
| UTEP | 11-20 | 8 | 7-13 |
| Delaware | 10-21 | 11 | 6-14 |
Box score
| Stat | Liberty Flames | Sam Houston Bearkats |
|---|---|---|
| Field goals | 29-51 | 27-62 |
| Field goal % | 57 | 44 |
| Three-pointers | 6-18 | 9-24 |
| Three-point % | 33 | 38 |
| Free throws | 18-23 | 11-14 |
| Free throw % | 78 | 79 |
| Rebounds | 23 | 37 |
| Offensive rebounds | 2 | 14 |
| Defensive rebounds | 21 | 23 |
| Assists | 22 | 10 |
| Steals | 8 | 8 |
| Blocks | 6 | 1 |
| Turnovers | 12 | 16 |
| Team turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Technical fouls | 0 | 0 |
| Technical fouls, total | 0 | 0 |
| Flagrant fouls | 0 | 0 |
| Points off turnovers | 19 | 18 |
| Fast-break points | 10 | 5 |
| Points in the paint | 42 | 30 |
| Fouls | 14 | 18 |
| Largest lead | 17 | 2 |
| Lead changes | 7 | 7 |
| Time in front | 84 | 8 |
How the scoring went
- 2nd Half50-45Brett Decker Jr. makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half50-47Justin Begg makes layup
- 2nd Half52-47Josh Smith makes layup (Zach Cleveland assists)
- 2nd Half53-47Brett Decker Jr. makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half54-47Brett Decker Jr. makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half56-47Josh Smith makes layup
- 2nd Half56-48Veljko Ilic makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half58-48Colin Porter makes 18-foot jumper
- 2nd Half58-51Jacobe Coleman makes 28-foot three point jumper (Veljko Ilic assists)
- 2nd Half60-51JJ Harper makes layup (Zach Cleveland assists)
- 2nd Half62-51Zach Cleveland makes 5-foot jumper (Colin Porter assists)
- 2nd Half64-51Zach Cleveland makes layup
- 2nd Half64-53Kashie Natt makes 0-foot tip in layup
- 2nd Half64-55Kashie Natt makes layup
- 2nd Half66-55Zach Cleveland makes layup (Colin Porter assists)
- 2nd Half68-55Kaden Metheny makes layup
- 2nd Half70-55JJ Harper makes layup (Zach Cleveland assists)
- 2nd Half71-55Josh Smith makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half72-55Josh Smith makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half72-56Jacob Walker makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half72-57Jacob Walker makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half73-57Zach Cleveland makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half73-59Kashie Natt makes 0-foot tip in layup
- 2nd Half75-59Brett Decker Jr. makes 3-foot dunk (Zach Cleveland assists)
- 2nd Half75-60Justin Begg makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half75-61Justin Begg makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half75-64Jacob Walker makes 26-foot three point jumper (Justin Begg assists)
- 2nd Half77-64Brett Decker Jr. makes layup (Zach Cleveland assists)
- 2nd Half78-64Brett Decker Jr. makes free throw 1 of 1
- 2nd Half78-65Kashie Natt makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half78-66Kashie Natt makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half79-66JJ Harper makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half79-68Justin Begg makes layup
- 2nd Half79-69Kashie Natt makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half79-70Kashie Natt makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half80-70Zander Carter makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half80-72Jacobe Coleman makes layup (Justin Begg assists)
- 2nd Half81-72Colin Porter makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Half82-72Colin Porter makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Half82-74Kashie Natt makes layup
Win probability
Above the line favours Sam Houston Bearkats, below favours Liberty Flames.
Venue
- Bernard G. Johnson ColiseumHuntsville, TX
- Attendance1170
- OfficialsBlake Harris, Jabir Walker, Michael Husted
Elsewhere
- Carson Crawford, No. 46 in '27 class, commits to Arizona St.
- Tennessee's Ralph Scott to have knee surgery, out at least 6 months
- Men's NCAA basketball 2026-27 Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings
- Transfers, recruits and roster moves for key men's NCAA basketball teams
- Michigan 5-star freshman Brandon McCoy Jr. (knee) to miss season
- With $6.5 million left on deal, UCLA fires AD Martin Jarmond