by Russell Vannozzi | Feb 7, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Lipscomb men’s basketball team just keeps on rolling through the ASUN. After five straight losses at UNF Arena since 2014, the Bisons easily dispatched North Florida, 92-55, with a dominating performance on both ends of the court Wednesday night. “If we play like we did [tonight], we’ll beat a lot of teams,” Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander said. “(North Florida) is in a tough spot right now, but regardless, it’s good for our team to come in here and take care of business.” The victory extended Lipscomb’s win streak to 10 games – a record in the program’s Division I era. The Bisons won nine consecutive games during the ASUN portion of their 2008-09 schedule. Garrison Mathews led the team with 22 points and five three-pointers. Junior Michael Buckland was a perfect 5-of-5 from beyond the arc and set a new season high of 15 points. “We have a lot of really good scorers on this team,” Buckland said. “The ball doesn’t always come my way, but when it does, I have to be ready.” Lipscomb last won at UNF Arena on Feb. 1, 2014. The Ospreys hold a 13-5 advantage in the series over the last eight seasons, but the Bisons have now won the last three meetings. “All of our nerves were kind of up,” Mathews said. “Coach pounded in our heads that none of us have ever won here. It was good to get a win.” The Bisons (19-4, 10-0 ASUN) began to slowly build a lead in the early minutes before ending the first half on a 26-9 run to take a...
by Russell Vannozzi | Feb 4, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
‘Undersized’ might seem like an odd label for a man that stands 6-foot-7. But because Lipscomb’s Rob Marberry plays the center position, that’s exactly how everyone describes him. “He definitely doesn’t pass the eye test,” senior Eli Pepper said of his teammate. “We tell him that all the time. He doesn’t look like a Division I [center].” A quick glance at Marberry’s stat line shows otherwise. The Nashville native is the team’s second-leading scorer with 15.5 points per game, and he pulls down 4.5 rebounds per contest. “Physically he’s not a five, but that’s what he is in our offense,” Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander said. “He’s got such great skills and the ability to finish with both hands. He’s undersized for a post player, but the ball goes in.” Marberry often outplays opponents that have a height advantage by two or three inches. Take Belmont’s Nick Muszynski as an example. The Bruin freshman stands at 6-foot-10, yet Marberry managed to score 26 points and grab eight rebounds in a 76-74 loss to Belmont on Dec. 4. “Rob Marberry is a really, really good player, and he’s got experience,” Belmont coach Rick Byrd said after the game. “When they needed baskets, they went to him every single time down the floor.” .@robmarberry0 TIES IT UP AT 74-74! The big man is now up to 26 points! #nailbitter #HornsUp pic.twitter.com/vOPxy15RhA — LipscombMBB (@LipscombMBB) December 5, 2018 Similar scenarios played out against SMU, TCU and Clemson, but Marberry was up to the task each time. He scored double figures in 33 straight games before being held to eight points by Florida Gulf...
by Russell Vannozzi | Feb 3, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb men’s basketball hasn’t been overly welcoming to the ASUN’s two new members. The Bisons dispatched Liberty on Tuesday and then did the same with North Alabama on Saturday. Behind six double-figure scorers, Lipscomb cruised to a 102-80 victory over the Lions at Allen Arena. The Bisons improved to 9-0 in ASUN play (18-4 overall) to match their longest win streak since 2008-09. Their last loss was an 84-67 defeat at Clemson on Dec. 30. “Glory goes to God, we’ve been playing well,” Lipscomb junior Andrew Fleming said. “I can’t ask for much more out of these guys, they’re playing hard.” Senior guard Garrison Mathews led the way with 19 points, while Kenny Cooper had 16 points and six assists. “[Cooper was] the biggest reason why we were so good early,” Alexander said. “He was involved and scored it on his own a couple of times. We’re a much better team when he’s making things happen.” Fleming (15), Ahsan Asadullah (13), Rob Marberry (11) and Nathan Moran (11) also finished in double digits to push Lipscomb to its third 100-point performance of the season. “The versatility for us on offense is important,” Alexander said. “We have a lot of guys that can pass, move and play off each other.” Fleming’s 15 points set a new career high. The Iowa and Chattanooga transfer played at the prestigious Oak Hill Academy during his final year of high school and seems to be finding his groove with the Bisons. He has 31 points in his last three games after missing time in early January with an ankle injury. “The biggest thing I’ve...
by Russell Vannozzi | Feb 2, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
Mid-major teams generally have one option for making the Big Dance: winning a conference tournament title. On rare occasions, a few mid-major squads piece together such solid resumes that the Selection Committee cannot ignore them. Gonzaga (19-2), Nevada (19-1) and Buffalo (18-2) appear to fit that mold this season. But what about Lipscomb? The Bisons have caught the eyes of the college basketball world with victories over TCU, SMU, Vermont and Liberty, along with close losses to Louisville and Belmont (x2). Do they stand any chance to get an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament? The answer: probably not. However, it isn’t completely out of the question. Lipscomb touts an impressive 17-4 overall record, and the Bisons are a perfect 8-0 in ASUN play. They’re also 2-3 against Quadrant 1 opponents and 2-1 against Quadrant 2 opponents. Heading into Saturday’s contest against North Alabama, Lipscomb sits at No. 36 in the NET rankings and the KenPom ratings. The Bisons can hang their hat on a marquee victory at TCU on Nov. 20. But the biggest factor working in Lipscomb’s favor is that it does not have any bad losses. The ASUN’s first-place team is 11-0 against Quadrant 3 and 4 opponents, and their worst loss came at home to Belmont (a top-70 team) on Nov. 15. All that to say, Lipscomb is best off taking care of business and winning its conference tournament on March 10. However, they might be able to survive a hiccup in the ASUN tournament if they do the following: 1. Win their final eight regular season games The Bisons are going to be favored in...
by Russell Vannozzi | Jan 30, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Lipscomb and Liberty entered Tuesday’s contest with unblemished 7-0 ASUN records. But the final score provided some clear separation between the league’s two best teams. The Bisons dominated from start to finish, handing Liberty a 79-59 defeat at the Vines Center in Lynchburg, Virginia. Lipscomb improved to 8-0 in conference play and took sole possession of first place in the ASUN. “A 40-minute basketball game is going to have a lot of turns in it, but I felt like our players had the right mentality, Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander said. “It was great to get off to a good start and really never let up.” Senior guard Garrison Mathews went for 22 points and knocked down five shots from long range, including two that came from well beyond the NBA three-point line. “Garrison’s in another world right now,” Alexander said. “But we’ve seen him do it a lot. What’s most impressive is he’s just doing it within the framework of the offense and he’s playing well every time he goes out there.” Rob Marberry, the second half of Lipscomb’s two-headed monster, turned in a 14-point, five-assist performance, while senior Eli Pepper added 11 points and eight rebounds. The Bisons (17-4) spread the ball around in the early going and jumped out to a 42-24 halftime advantage. Lipscomb shot 62 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes, while Liberty, the nation’s 22nd-best three-point shooting team, went 0-for-9 from long range. The Flames rebounded with four three-point makes in the second half. Marberry and guard Kenny Cooper did not play in Lipscomb’s 88-65 victory at Stetson...
