Each time the Liberty Christian boys basketball team takes the court, there is a transparent target on its back.Having established a reputation for success — and more recently for routing teams by 30-40 points, Coach Butch Clark realizes the Eagles’ are marked on every opponent’s schedule.“I told our guys they need to expect that,” said Clark. “We’re going to get every team’s best shot. When you’re perceived as a strong program, you don’t want to lay an egg.”The veteran coach even considered having custom T-shirts made with targets on the back after Liberty Christian’s latest rout, a 69-50 win at Providence Christian.“Other teams dial it up a notch when they play us, and Providence was definitely no different,” said Clark, whose team struggled to separate itself early. “They played a really strong game and brought a  lot of intensity with it being their senior night.”Engaging its usual trap defense, the Eagles pressured the entire way, going ahead 23-13 after one quarter.But Providence adjusted in the second period, finding its range from beyond the arc. It hit seven threes in the first half alone, with one hot-handed player knocking down five.“It was a pretty tight first half,” said Clark. “They did a good job of reversing the ball and finding guys that were open on the weakside. When that happens, you get burned.”With their starting point guard going scoreless in the first half, the Eagles need others to fill the offensive void. Eighth-grader Andrew Voss was up to the challenge, hitting three treys, including a buzzer beater to push Liberty Christian ahead 37-30 at the half.Senior Tanner Meyer got involved in the scoring act in the second half, draining 19 points.“Tanner had a real good second half,” said Clark. “He had shots the first half, but had some mechanical glitches. Consequently, his shots weren’t falling for him.”He finished with 19 points to give the Eagles the extra boost they needed to pull away.“We had a good run late in third and early in fourth to give us some cushion,” said Clark.Wearing down Providence with relentless defensive pressure, Liberty Christian led 48-38 heading into the final period.“Even when you’re not getting turnovers, you’re at least controlling the tempo of the game,” asserted Clark. “I thought they used up a lot of their energy the first half and it started to show the final two quarters.”In all, Clark was very complimentary of his team’s performance. Such has been his tone for several weeks, as the Eagles have lost just one game since Nov. 8.“We are playing really well right now,” said Clark. “I’m pleased with them. They’re working hard and they’re confident but not cocky.”Liberty Christian has concluded its Metro Athletic Conference schedule, going 15-1 in the league. The Eagles only defeat came against Crosspoint Christian — an almost inexplicable setback for Clark.“They really outplayed us, but I would rather it happen there than late in the season,” said Clark.Liberty Christian has been getting help inside from senior Calvin Edwards, who netted 16 points and grabbed a team-best 15 rebounds on Saturday.“Calvin has been playing really well,” said Clark. “He didn’t have a lot of looks early, because we didn’t do a good job of getting him the ball. When we feed  him in the post, he’s scoring.”The Eagles’ are preparing for four nonconference games over the next two weeks before heading into their league tournament.“We’ve got some tough games ahead of us, but I really think we’ve got a chance to make some noise in the postseason,” said Clark.Liberty Christian is slated to host Collinsville Christian on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m.EAGLES CONTINUE DOMINANCEDerrick Forsythe photo.