NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The Lipscomb men’s basketball team lost to the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles 77-68 Saturday evening at Allen Arena
A frustrating second half saw Lipscomb lose a 16-point lead early in the second period, the fifth double-digit this year that Lipscomb has gone on to lose.
The Bisons had three players score in double figures, including junior center Ahsan Asadullah with 18 points and guards Trae Benham and Greg Jones with 15 and 14 points, respectively.
Asadullah was on the cusp of another double-double with 9 rebounds, tying Mt. Juliet native Will Pruitt with the most rebounds for the team.
Asadullah scored 13 of his 18 points in Lipscomb’s efficient first half, and was complemented well with scoring from Jones and Benham throughout the game. Jones made four 3-pointers and Benham brought a spark to the starting lineup by going 6-13 from field goal range and 3-7 from three-point range.
Asadullah started his game off strong in the paint and Lipscomb continued to shine bright. Benham made a fast break 3-pointer and a driving layup late in the half to take a 45-29 lead, the largest in the game for the Bisons.
However, the commanding lead for the Bisons dwindled in the second half. Lipscomb’s shot percentage in the first half of 51.4% on field goals and 50% from the three point line would drop drastically to 22.9% and 11.8% respectively.
Led by point guard Tavian Dunn-Martin and his 22 points, the Eagles came roaring back.
After Lipscomb out-scored the Eagles by 14 points in the first half, FGCU responded by scoring 23 more points in the second half. FGCU went on a 10-0 run to tie the game at 49-49, and from there, the Bisons struggled to keep momentum as the lead grew to their largest lead of 16.
The Eagles would finish the game with a comfortable 77-68 final score.
The Bisons drop to 10-15 overall and 3-7 in ASUN Conference play while the Eagles improve to 15-9 and a leveled 5-5 conference record.
The Bisons will seek consistency during both halves of play as they travel to Liberty, 3-time ASUN Conference Tournament Champions, Tuesday night. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics