The Liberty Christian boys basketball team will get a third, and final, chance against the team that has turned into its arch nemesis this season.

That’s because, after the Eagles defeated Plaza Heights Christian Academy 69-53 to win the teams’ semifinal game of the Missouri Christian Schools Athletic Association (MCSAA) state tournament in Joplin, Westwood Baptist Academy awaits in the state championship game.

Junior guard Phoenix Obermann, who led Liberty (23-8) with 22 points, said after the semifinal win that everything had been leading up to Saturday.

“We played really hard and have practiced and gotten ready all year just for this moment,” Obermann said. “I think we have been playing really well as a team these past few games, and if we can keep it up, we really have a shot at winning it all. We are ready.”

The game, which is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., comes after Westwood has already beaten Liberty, first by a 87-54 score on December 19 and again by a 50-45 tally on February 13 to capture the Metro Conference title.

To get to the title game, Liberty had to get past a couple of mitigating circumstances on Friday.

First, Plaza Heights – who averages nearly 30 3-pointer attempts per game, made just eight, thanks to some tough defense. Second, Liberty was forced to contend with quickly mounting foul trouble.

“We survived the second quarter,” said Coach Butch Clark of Liberty’s 36-31 halftime lead. “Willy Mueller and Cruze Meyer both had three fouls in the second quarter, and Willy sat out almost all of it.”

A 19-point third quarter put Liberty up 55-41 with eight minutes left and, from there, the team secured the victory.

After Obermann’s effort, Liberty received a 19-point, 11-rebound effort from Mueller.

Ryder Carlisle added 15 points and Tommy Meyer was the fourth player in double figures for the team with 11 points.

Liberty will be trying to win its fifth state championship on Saturday. Previously, the program won state MCSAA titles in 2007, 2013, 2018 and 2019.