After what has been an up-and-down season, the Lady Bisons are set for their matchup against number one ranked ETSU.
Lipscomb is slated to take on ETSU in the first round of the Atlantic Sun tournament today on the campus of Mercer University.
The Lady Bisons saw ETSU twice earlier this season, losing both times. However, just over a week ago Lipscomb was only down by three with a few minutes left to play.
“We fouled too much the second half, and that cost us the game,” assistant coach Billy Snell said. “We felt like it was a game we let get away from us. We have had success against them, we just have to finish them off.”
Finishing them off will not be an easy task, though. The Lady Bisons know what it takes to win big games like this. It will take a total team effort.
Coach Snell believes that the team’s effort will start underneath the basket.
“We have to win the boards,” Snell said. “We have to do a better job of keeping [ETSU] off the glass and limiting their shots.”
Lipscomb’s coaches do not believe that ETSU is going to just beat them simply because their record is better. Lipscomb’s strong play against the Lady Bucs in their last matchup proves to the team that the Lady Bisons have a chance of pulling off the upset today.
“When we played defense and didn’t foul, we got stops,” Snell said. “We have to make them earn every one of their points.”
Another key for the Lady Bisons is getting production from everyone that is on the floor. For the past two seasons they have relied on Jenna Barstokas for a majority of their points. However, another name has emerged for Lipscomb down the stretch.
Valerie Bronson, who led the team in scoring in their win over Mercer on Saturday, is becoming the go-to player for the Lady Bisons going into the tournament.
“Valerie is really playing within herself and simplifying her game,” Snell said. “She’s given us a big energy boost the last several games.”
Bronson is playing more of a post game than usual at this point in the season. While she may not be as tall or as big as other post players in the league, her quickness in the paint makes up for it. She is also a threat from 15 feet, giving her a lot of options.
The biggest key, though, is getting off to a fast start and not allowing ETSU to dictate the pace of the game. Coach Snell believes that ETSU may overlook the team, but if that happens, they are ready.
“The big thing is to get a great start,” Snell said. “ETSU is going to come in there and get this over quickly. If we get a good start and are aggressive, we will be okay.”