The Lipscomb women’s basketball team (5-24, 2-12) fell to Kennesaw State (11-18, 6-8) 68-64 Saturday on senior day in Allen Arena.
Seniors Ashley Southern, Chandler Cooper, and Kelli Smith were honored as they played their final game for the purple and gold.
“We’ll miss them more as people than players,” head coach Greg Brown said.
Southern finished with a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Cooper finished with five points to go along with two assists and two rebounds. Smith pulled down six rebounds and made two free-throws for Lipscomb.
Aareon Smith led the Owls with 15 points going 5-7 from behind the arc. Three other Owls scored in double-figures as well.
The Lady Bisons found themselves down by eight at halftime, 33-25. But in the third quarter Lipscomb took a 47-41 lead. The Lady Bisons held a one-point lead at the end of the third quarter, 49-48.
“The second half was much better offensively,” Brown said.
The first three minutes of the fourth quarter was all Kennesaw State, as the Owls held a 54-49 lead. Southern went on a personal mission and gave the Lady Bisons a one-point lead with under five minutes remaining.
“You want to put yourself in position to win one at the end like that,” Brown said.
Alex Banks hit back-to-back threes late in the fourth quarter to give the Bisons a 64-58, lead. But a 10-0 run from the Owls gave Kennesaw State the lead for good.
“We just had too many key defensive breakdowns, like that lay-up at the end,” Brown said.
The Lady Bisons will play at Jacksonville for the first round of the Atlantic-Sun Tournament on Friday March 4.
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics