by Russell Vannozzi | May 6, 2018 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb University’s most decorated athlete in recent memory is taking his game to the next level. One day after receiving his degree during the school’s graduation ceremony at Allen Arena, senior golfer Dawson Armstrong announced via Twitter that he is turning professional. “After much thought, prayer, and conversation with those around me, including (with) coach (Will) Brewer, I have decided to bypass the postseason and turn professional!” Armstrong said in the tweet. Lipscomb was left out of the NCAA tournament field that was announced Wednesday, although Armstrong had qualified as an individual by winning the ASUN crown in late April. The Bisons finished five strokes behind ASUN team champion North Florida, which is bound for an NCAA Regional in Norman, Oklahoma. “This is a very bittersweet decision as I cannot be more proud of the accomplishments and memories made at Lipscomb,” Armstrong said. “I hope to make Lipscomb proud as I begin my pro golf career.” Earlier last month, Armstrong told Lumination Network that he would only bypass the NCAA tournament if the Bisons failed to qualify as a team. The move allows Armstrong to begin his ambitious timeline of qualifying for next year’s PGA Tour. He hopes to do so by participating in several second-tier events and potentially the Web.com Tour playoffs, which grants PGA Tour cards for the top 25 money winners in the final four events. The two-time ASUN individual champion leaves Lipscomb with numerous school records and three NCAA tournament appearances. His amateur career also included victories at the Western Amateur and the Dogwood Invitational in 2015. Armstrong will begin his professional career on Monday...
by Russell Vannozzi | Apr 5, 2018 | News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb senior golfer Dawson Armstrong knows exactly what he wants to do after graduation. And his plans don’t have anything to do with the Corporate Management degree that he’ll earn in May. Last Friday, Armstrong won the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada Qualifying Tournament at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The victory secured Armstrong’s spot on the 2018 Mackenzie Tour, a professional stepping stone for golfers dreaming of the PGA Tour. The tour includes 14 stops around Canada this summer, with the top finishers granted exemption for the 2019 Web.com Tour – golf’s top development circuit. “It’s a big burden lifted off my shoulders,” Armstrong said. “The one thing that’s been looming in my mind is that I hoped to play well in the qualifying for the Mackenzie Tour. Now that I’ve done that, the ball is in my court as far as which tournaments I play in.” Armstrong said he hopes to participate in the Web.com Tour in some capacity this season, with dreams of securing his card for the 2019 PGA Tour. “My goal is to get into the Web.com Tour playoffs this year, and hopefully play well enough to be on the PGA (Tour) next year,” he said. “I always want to be the best, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get there.” Armstrong’s victory did not come easily. He began the final day of the qualifying tournament in a tie for fifth place, but posted a -6, 66 for the come-from-behind win. The Brentwood native capped his performance with a 35-foot putt from just off the green on the...
by Russell Vannozzi | Mar 20, 2018 | News Slider, Opinion, Sports
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Season-ending losses are typically filled with tears and disappointment, frustration of what could have been had a certain play or shot fallen differently. But when Lipscomb lost to North Carolina by a score of 84-66 in the first round of the NCAA basketball tournament on Friday, it didn’t bring the type of shock that usually comes in March. Yes, there were a few hung heads and some tears from the Bisons, who had hoped to pull an upset against the defending national champions. However, when the team returned to their Holiday Inn in uptown Charlotte, the lobby wasn’t filled with sadness. Seniors Aaron Korn and George Brammeier were seen hugging family members. Rob Marberry took a seat on a couch to talk with friends, sporting a bruise after taking an elbow to the face early in the game. Other players opted to get up to their rooms and pack for the team’s charter flight back to Nashville. Junior forward Eli Pepper leaned over to me and said, “We’ll be back…just need to put together a 40-minute performance next year.” There were no signs of a crushing defeat. How could anyone be overly upset? The Bisons won their first-ever ASUN tournament title and stood their ground in their March Madness debut. “It’s an honor just to be part of this Lipscomb basketball team and what the program has become,” sophomore guard Kenny Cooper said. “(Making) our first tournament and being part of (the Big Dance) exceeded our expectations.” Sure, it’s cliché to say that one loss doesn’t define an otherwise successful season, or to call the team...
by Russell Vannozzi | Mar 14, 2018 | News Slider, Opinion, Sports
Sunday’s TBS Selection Show brought plenty of anticipation as the Lipscomb basketball team learned the destination of its first-ever NCAA tournament game. The answer? A date with the North Carolina Tar Heels in Charlotte. After the initial excitement wore off, a harsh reality set in: the Bisons must take down Goliath for their season to extend past Friday’s matchup against the defending national champions. Nearly every national analyst has picked the Tar Heels to win, and rightfully so. Coached by Roy Williams, North Carolina has won seven national titles and is routinely in the hunt for a Final Four berth. Most Vegas oddsmakers have the Tar Heels as a 19-point favorite against the Bisons. But North Carolina hasn’t been untouchable this season. While most of their losses came against highly ranked teams, the Tar Heels dropped a 79-75 contest to Wofford on Dec. 20 at home. Just three days earlier, Tennessee came within five points of beating the Tar Heels in Knoxville. Nonetheless, ESPN’s Matchup Predictor gave the Bisons just a 3.3 percent chance of beating the 25-10 Tar Heels. The Athletic’s Ken Pomeroy echoed those sentiments, giving Lipscomb a 4.1 percent chance of reaching the second round. Other media outlets acknowledged Lipscomb’s outside chance at an upset. SB Nation’s Alex Kirshner listed the game his “Category 4: It’s possible. Don’t laugh” upset pick, while Tennessee State coach Dana Ford told 104.5 The Zone’s Midday 180 show that the Bisons’ shooting prowess makes them a contender. “I like Lipscomb’s chances because in order to win in (the NCAA) tournament as a lower seed, you must make threes,” Ford told...
by Russell Vannozzi | Mar 7, 2018 | News Slider, Opinion, Sports
FORT MYERS, Fla. – On March 4, 2006, the Belmont basketball team topped Lipscomb in the ASUN championship game, using a three-point play from Justin Hare and a strong overtime performance to squeak out a 74-69 victory. Exactly 12 years later, the Lipscomb basketball team was back in the title game, and it wasn’t going to be denied this time around. The Bisons used a 60-point first half to build a sizable lead, only to have to hold on for a 108-96 victory over Florida Gulf Coast on Sunday at Alico Arena. The difference the second time around? Head coach Casey Alexander, who was an assistant at Belmont when the Bruins advanced to their first NCAA tournament by sending the Bisons packing in 2006. The Belmont ties to the Lipscomb coaching staff (also including assistants Roger Idstrom and Steve Drabyn) have been well documented when the Battle of the Boulevard rolls around each year. In fact, the Belmont-Lipscomb games generally bring boatloads of media attention to both schools. What hasn’t been as well-documented? The Lipscomb basketball team when they aren’t playing Belmont. One glance at press row during a typical ASUN conference game yields two broadcasters, a Lumination Network staffer and occasionally a member of the local Nashville media. Since that fateful day in 2006, Belmont and Lipscomb went in opposite directions. The Bruins qualified for six additional NCAA tournaments while the Bisons watched on television. In turn, Belmont has largely overshadowed Lipscomb on the court over the last decade. That changed this season. Behind a pair of Battle of the Boulevard victories, the 2017-18 edition of the Lipscomb basketball team appeared...
