LEXINGTON -- Fans at Cameron Hall won't soon forget the day that they delivered a spontaneous, a capella version of the national anthem.

When a promised recording of the anthem was inaudible, there were a few anxious moments before spectators burst into song.

"That was awesome," said first-year Liberty men's basketball coach Dale Layer. "It brought chills to my spine."

So did the play of his freshmen.

Liberty rookies Evan Gordon, Chris Perez and Antwan Burrus combined for 59 points as the Flames overcame an 18-point first-half deficit to win for the fourth straight time at Cameron Hall, 110-102.

"I've never beaten them here," said fifth-year VMI coach Duggar Baucom. "The one time we beat 'em [in 2006] was when I was in the hospital."

The Keydets (4-7, 1-2 Big South) beat the Flames twice last year, once in the Big South tournament at Radford and the time before that in a 37-point runaway in Lynchburg.

It looked like more of the same Saturday when VMI jumped to a 33-15 lead on a 3-pointer by Ron Burks with 10:33 remaining in the first half.

That was the Keydets' sixth 3-pointer up to that point and VMI would knock down 10 3-pointers before taking a 53-44 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Liberty (7-8, 2-1) did not have a single 3-pointer in the first half, but the second 20 minutes offered a total reversal. The Flames extended their defense and VMI missed its first seven 3-point tries of the second half.

Indeed, VMI went more than 16 minutes without making a 3-pointer, a critical statistic given the Keydets' reliance on the outside game.

"They definitely stretched out their defense," said VMI sophomore Keith Gabriel, who finished with a team-high 27 points in 28 minutes, "but we should have made them pay the consequences. We would take the ball to the basket, but we were too selfish. We didn't kick the ball out."

Baucom said Liberty did a good job of switching when VMI was able to penetrate.

"We were very selfish," said Baucom, seconding Gabriel's assessment, "and that's not the way we play. We've led the league in assists since I've been here because we've been unselfish."

Liberty was much better at sharing the ball, witness the triple-double posted by 6-foot-4 senior Kyle Ohman, who began his Liberty career as a walk-on.

Ohman finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. His only turnover came with 3:48 remaining.

Gordon and Perez finished with season highs of 24 and 21 points, respectively, and Burrus' 14-point effort was accompanied by a season-high eight rebounds and two blocks.

Layer noted that Liberty's freshmen had accounted for 1,302 minutes prior to Saturday, "and that's a boatload," he said. "I think it's the most in the country. I know they're getting better; these guys are growing up."

The Flames made only four of their first 16 shots from the field but hit nine straight shots in trimming VMI's lead to 41-40.

Liberty was 7-of-11 from beyond the arc in the second half, with Jeremy Anderson coming off the bench to hit three 3-pointers during a one-minute, 27-second span when Liberty turned a 68-65 deficit into a 74-68 lead.

"He's a 'catch-3' shooter," Baucom said. "That's what he is on the scouting report. We know that and we allow him to get open. Those were three wide-open looks."

The Keydets had not played in 11 days, which might have been an excuse if they had come out sluggishly, but Baucom said the first 12 minutes provided some of the best basketball VMI has displayed this season.

"We had three tough games before the break with Virginia Tech, Seton Hall and George Mason," Gabriel said, "but the way we played against George Mason [in an 89-86 road loss], I felt we could beat anybody in our league."

Baucom was disappointed that a crowd of 2,321, better than expected with school out of session, could not be rewarded for its support as well as its singing.

Referring to the non-existent recording of the national anthem, Baucom compared VMI's game management to its on-floor performance.

"Still on holiday," he said.

LIBERTY (7-8)

Ohman 4-11 6-6 16, Konan 2-6 1-1 5, McMasters 0-1 0-0 0, Gordon 9-13 4-4 24, Sanders 3-5 7-10 13, Perez 9-14 3-7 21, Anderson 3-4 0-0 9, Minaya 0-1 2-2 2, Burrus 6-7 2-2 14, Weaver 3-6 0-0 6. Totals 39-68 25-32 110.

VMI (4-7)

Burks 1-4 4-6 7, Gabriel 9-16 4-6 27, Sargent 0-0 0-0 0, Lonon 5-8 0-0 10, Kenon 9-18 0-1 21, Okoye 3-4 6-6 12, Carr 2-3 2-3 6, Houston 1-6 0-0 3, Sparks 4-9 4-5 16. Totals 34-68 20-27 102.

Halftime--VMI 53-44. 3-Point Goals--Liberty 7-15 (Anderson 3-4, Ohman 2-4, Gordon 2-5, Perez 0-1, Sanders 0-1), VMI 14-33 (Gabriel 5-12, Sparks 4-7, Kenon 3-7, Burks 1-2, Houston 1-3, Carr 0-1, Okoye 0-1). Fouled Out--Kenon, Weaver. Rebounds--Liberty 50 (Ohman 12), VMI 22 (Sparks 5). Assists--Liberty 22 (Ohman 10), VMI 14 (Kenon, Lonon 4). Total Fouls--Liberty 24, VMI 20. Technical--VMI Bench. A--2,321.