LYNCHBURG, Va. - The Presbyterian College men's basketball team placed three players in double figures, but it was not enough in the Big South opener at Liberty as the squad dropped a 70-61 decision.

The Blue Hose now stand at 2-5 overall and 0-1 in league play.

Leading the way for PC was redshirt-sophomore Jake Troyli, who accounted for 17 points. Khalid Mutakabbir dropped in 16 while Pierre Miller added 10 in the loss. Mutakabbir also dished out a team-best five assists. Redshirt-junior Al'Lonzo Coleman accounted for seven points and five assists before being whistled with his fifth foul.

Head coach Gregg Nibert's team was solid from the floor, draining 20-of-51 shots for 51 percent. The squad shared the ball well as 18 passes led directly to baskets.

PC jumped in front with a lay-up by Troyli 57 seconds in. Mutakabbir added back-to-back jumpers, pushing an early lead to 6-0 in favor of the visitors. After Liberty sliced the lead to two, 12-10, Coleman's lay-up sparked a run by the Blue Hose. With 12:50 to play in the first half, Mutakabbir's three-point shot made it 17-10 off a pass from Coleman.

However, the Flames would not go away. With the score 17-15 at 11:02, rookie Joshua Clyburn added a jumper off a pass from Tyler Deihl for a four-point edge.

Clyburn added his second basket of the night on the next possession, pushing the margin to six. With 9:02 to go in the first half, Ryan Hargrave's lay-up off a great pass by Diehl made the score 23-15.

Hargrave, who came off the bench to play 19 minutes, dished out an assist to Troyli with 8:07 to go, giving Nibert's team a 25-15 edge.

Liberty tried to cut into the lead, but Miller answered each of the home team's scores with one of his own. With 6:08 to play in the half, PC pushed the lead to nine, 29-20, on Miller's basket. However, it marked the last field goal the team would have until Troyli's jumper in the lane with 49 seconds to go in the stanza. Troyli's shot made it 31-27 in favor of the Blue Hose at the break.

The Flames quickly cut into the lead in the second half, but the Blue Hose continued to battle. At the 17:25 mark, PC was ahead 35-33. Troyli canned a jumper and Coleman took Walt Allen's pass for a quick lay-in to make the score 39-33. Troyli then added an old-fashioned three-point play for a nine-point edge, 42-33, with 15:18 to go.

Liberty slowly trimmed the deficit before taking the lead with 10:37 to go. The lead changed hands on the next couple of possessions, but the Flames went ahead for good with 9:45 to play.

Liberty pushed the advantage to nine with 2:02 to go, but Nibert's team was relentless. Mutakabbir hit a three. After two foul shots, Miller's three-point shot sliced the deficit to five, 66-61, with 41 seconds to play. However, PC could get no closer in the loss.

The Blue Hose will look for their first win at VMI since making the move to Division I on Saturday when they take on the Keydets in a 1 p.m. battle.