The Lipscomb women’s basketball team took down second-year ASUN opponents Bellarmine 65-54 Saturday afternoon at Allen Arena.
Weathering a flurry of long-range shots from the Knights, Lipscomb came back from a 5-point deficit at the end of the 1st quarter, dominating Bellarmine defensively in the second half to pick up their 6th win of the year.
Bellarmine shot 83% from deep in the first quarter, scoring 15 points on 3-balls in that first period alone. As the visitors cooled off, though, Lipscomb found their rhythm.
“I think for us, it’s all about trusting the process and sticking to what we know is going to give us the most success in the long run,” assistant coach Chris Sumski said. “Our kids are just mentally tough and do a good job of not getting discouraged and just trusting the gameplan.”
A balanced, consistent scoring attack saw three Bisons score in double figures. Second-year freshman guard Jordan Peete led the team in scoring for the second straight game, following up a 23-point outing at Jacksonville State in midweek with 16 points against Bellarmine.
The St. Louis-born point guard went 5-8 from the field, including a 2-3 3-point mark, and shot 4-6 from the free throw line.
True freshman power forward Bella Vinson stepped up in a major way, scoring in double figures for the 5th time this season and earning a career high in points with 14. Hailing from Manchester, Tennessee, Vinson started her 5th game as a Bison, slotting in for senior center Dorie Harrison. Harrison suffered an ankle injury against Jacksonville State in Lipscomb’s previous game and did not dress for the game.
“The good thing about our team is we have that ‘next man up’ mentality,” Sumski said, “and we have a lot of skilled and versatile players.”
Vinson also provided a key presence in the post defensively, pulling down 6 rebounds to go with 2 blocks.
“I like that she’s finally playing with some confidence. We’ve seen that [performance] in her since she got here, but she hasn’t seen it in herself until these last couple of games.
However, on a night with many young contributors for Lipscomb, it was arguably the performance of veteran guard Casey Collier which was most impactful on the afternoon. The 4th-year junior from Knoxville knocked down 2-4 from outside the arc en route to 10 points. Collier also collected 4 rebounds, 2 assists, a block, and a steal in 28 minutes.
“It’s always good when you come out hot,” Collier said after scoring a 3-pointer from the corner to start both halves of the contest. “It really does set the tone and just make you want to get after it even more.”
Collier shoots 29% from the 3-point line this season, but felt the confidence to score efficiently from outside against the Knights.
“As far as my 3-point game, I’ve been working on it, but I’ve been hesitant,” Collier said. “As far as the offense goes, we knew we could get whatever shot we wanted if we moved the ball around.”
The Bisons shared the basketball all night long to the tune of 11 assists, and the result was effective scoring across the board. Lipscomb shot 22-51 for a 43% mark from the floor while Bellarmine shot just 34% on field goals.
Sophomore guard Jalyn Holcomb returned to the court at Allen Arena for the first time since November after suffering an injury 5 games into the season. In her second game back, Holcomb put together a second-straight 6-point effort and added 4 rebounds and 2 assists.
“[She] definitely gives you confidence,” Collier said of her 3-year teammate at Lipscomb and former AAU teammate in high school. “It’s always good when she’s back. She helps me a lot and I couldn’t do what I do without her. She’s definitely a leader for this team and brings us a lot of energy,” Collier said.