Both Lipscomb men’s and women’s basketball teams defeated North Florida on Saturday afternoon in Allen Arena.
The Lady Bisons (5-20, 2-8) won their second consecutive A-Sun game 78-71.
Senior Ashley Southern led Lipscomb in scoring 17 points and nine rebounds. Six other Bisons scored in double-figures in a balanced scoring attack.
Sophomore Loren Cagle approached scored 12 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Senior Chandler Cooper and sophomore Amber Fuqua each scored 12 points.
“It’s great to see stuff she [Fuqua] does in practice carry out in the game, and that’s what you want,” head coach Greg Brown said.
The team hit 12 threes and had 23 assists on 28 baskets.
“The biggest thing it showed was how each individual player has improved while [Southern] was out,” Brown said. “You have to be thankful for the adversity and then learn from the adversity and grow from it, and I certainly think we have.”
The Lady Bisons are now in seventh place in the A-Sun conference and just a game behind North Florida (6-19, 2-8) for the sixth seed in the A-Sun tournament. The Lady Bisons will play again Monday night in Allen Arena against Jacksonville.
The men’s basketball team has now won six of eight Atlantic-Sun games after starting 0-3 in conference play, defeating the North Florida Ospreys, 94-87, in the second leg of the double-header.
Four Bisons scored in double-figures. Sophomore Nathan Moran and freshman Garrison Mathews led the way for Bisons with 24 and 23 points, respectively. Mathews and sophomore George Brammeier both notched double-doubles.
The Bisons were down by as many as 13 and 10 at the half. However, head coach Casey Alexander said he was pleased with how the team finished.
“We were down by 13 after the first media timeout, but from then on we won the game,” Alexander said. “We cut the lead at halftime and then continued to play well, and then we jumped on them after halftime.”
Moran came off the bench for his 24 points, as he hit six threes and six free-throws.
“I can’t think of another player that I’d want taking those shots down the stretch,” Alexander said. “He [Moran] wants the ball. He puts in the practice.”
The Bisons will travel to Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday. The contest will air live on ESPN3.
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics