by Russell Vannozzi | Jan 19, 2018 | News Slider, Sports
Just three games into the ASUN slate, the Lipscomb women’s basketball team has already equaled its total of six victories from last season. That includes two conference wins and three victories in the last four contests. What’s been the difference this time around? Coach Greg Brown said he believes it’s a combination of new coaches, new personnel and a focus on continual improvement. “We’ve tried to teach a growth mentality,” Brown said. “We played some tough games in the non-conference schedule and tried to learn from each of them. [The team] is putting some of those lessons in action now, and they’re reaping the benefits.” The Lady Bisons (6-12, 2-1 ASUN) are fresh off a 73-69 win at North Florida on Monday, when senior guard Loren Cagle poured in a career-high 31 points. Cagle’s offensive production has nearly doubled – she’s up to 17.4 points per game this year versus 8.9 points per game last season – thanks in part to the emergence of young point guards like Lauren Rau, Lexi Manos and Carleigh Short. “Last year we relied on [Cagle] a lot,” Brown said. “Rau was sick and [Manos and Short] were both freshmen. We’ve been able to take the pressure off Cagle and that’s allowed her to be more aggressive.” In addition to Cagle’s improvement, redshirt freshman Emily Kmec has challenged opposing defenses with her height and shooting ability. The Carmel, Indiana, native is 47-of-133 (35 percent) from beyond the arc and is second on the team in rebounds with 79. “Kmec has come in and changed some of our dynamics by being able to stretch the floor,”...
by Russell Vannozzi | Dec 5, 2017 | News Slider, Sports
If traffic gets stopped on Belmont Boulevard on Wednesday, there’s no need to be alarmed – it’s just the Lipscomb faithful staking claim to the street. For the second straight week, Lipscomb topped archival Belmont – this one a 69-54 victory at Allen Arena. The Bisons also defeated the Bruins by a score of 74-66 in the season’s first addition of the Battle of the Boulevard on Nov. 27. “Not many teams do that to them,” Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander said of beating the Bruins twice. “They’re a great team, and that’s why it means so much for us to win it.” Junior guard Garrison Mathews powered the Bisons with 26 points, despite suffering an apparent injury in an overtime victory over Tennessee State on Saturday. Mathews wore a sleeve on his right knee and appeared to be operating close to full strength. “We thought he was out for the season 48 hours ago, so I’m glad he’s not,” Alexander said. “It seemed like every time we needed something good to happen, [Garrison] was in the right place.” 20 of Mathews’ points came in the second half, including a stretch of six straight points after Belmont went on an 8-0 run midway through the second half. Lipscomb led 28-20 at halftime and pulled away from the Bruins when its offense came alive late in the game. Sophomore guard Kenny Cooper also proved to be a key cog in the win, and he set a new career high in points with 18. “He’s gaining more and more control of the offense, and that’s what we need out of him,” Alexander said of...
by Russell Vannozzi | Nov 28, 2017 | News Slider, Sports
For at least the next week, Belmont Boulevard belongs to Lipscomb. The Bisons basketball team had to hold off a late rally from the Bruins, but ultimately pulled out a 74-66 road win at Curb Event Center. Lipscomb’s victory snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Bruins, marking the first time since January 2012 that the Bisons have claimed a “Battle of the Boulevard” matchup. “The reason this win feels so good is because [Belmont] is a great team,” Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander said. “This win is incredibly meaningful for our players and for our school.” Junior guard Garrison Mathews poured in 22 points to lead the Bisons, while teammate Rob Marberry chipped in 18. The ending provided plenty of excitement, but the first half was a much different story as the two teams combined for 13 turnovers. The game was knotted at just 26 apiece at halftime. “I thought the first half was pretty sloppy on both sides,” Belmont coach Rick Byrd said. “[Lipscomb] was just the better team, and they were certainly the better-coached team.” The Bisons started the second half with a 14-0 run to swing the momentum in their favor. However, Belmont slowly clawed back and eventually cut Lipscomb’s lead to 64-63 with 3:14 left to play. “We weren’t too nervous – teams are going to go on runs,” Marberry said of Belmont’s attempted comeback. “We were confident that we could get the win.” Lipscomb used two pivotal moments to pull away from the Bruins in crunch time. The first came via a Kenny Cooper steal, and the sophomore finished with a layup on the other end...
by Russell Vannozzi | Nov 17, 2017 | News Slider, Sports
Despite numerous chances on goal, the Lipscomb men’s soccer team couldn’t get its offense going on Thursday evening – spelling the demise of its 2017 season. The Butler Bulldogs used a pair of Brandon Guhl goals to top the Bisons, 2-0, in the first round of the NCAA tournament at the Sellick Bowl. Lipscomb (11-8-2) finished with a total of 16 shots, and seniors Ivan Alvarado, Ivan Sakou and Kyle Smith each had three attempts apiece. The Bulldogs (13-4-2) found the net just 7:29 into the game when Guhl snuck a shot past Lipscomb goalkeeper Christopher Zappia, who had come off his line to attempt a save. That scoreline held the rest of the half. In the 77th minute, Guhl added an insurance goal off a long pass from teammate Kieran Geldenhuys. It was Guhl’s team-leading 12th tally of the season. Lipscomb was making its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance after topping Jacksonville, 2-1, for the ASUN title last Saturday. It was the Bisons’ first ASUN title since joining the conference and NCAA Division I in 2003. The Bisons graduate 10 seniors including: Alvarado, Sakou, Smith, Eduardo Reza, Cameron Botes, Joe Kerridge, Scout Monteith, Jonathan Ramirez, Anthony Bellini and Brandon Braumuller. Butler advanced to the second round of the tournament and will take on VCU on Sunday in Richmond, Virginia. Photo courtesy of Lipscomb...
by Russell Vannozzi | Nov 11, 2017 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb men’s basketball team struggled in the early going of Friday’s season opener, but a strong second-half effort was enough for a 98-83 victory over Emory at Allen Arena. “It wasn’t pretty because (Emory) is good,” Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander said. “Naturally, we can play a lot better – but they had a lot to do with why we didn’t play well.” Lipscomb guard Garrison Mathews led all scorers with 37 points – just two shy of his career high of 39. “He’s a load, especially when he puts his head down to get to the rim,” Alexander said. “He wants the ball, and our guys have confidence in him.” At halftime, the game was knotted at 43 after the Eagles gave the Bisons all they could handle in the first 20 minutes of play. “I didn’t think we were missing effort or desire, but I did think we were a little bit off,” Alexander said. “We needed to increase our intensity level just a notch.” That’s exactly what they did. Lipscomb’s offense exploded in the second half, and – led by Mathews – the Bisons outscored Emory 55-40 after the break. Mathews was quick to deflect the praise to his teammates and noted that Emory is a “well-coached” team. “I give props to my teammates – they gave me the ball,” Mathews said of his performance. “It was the first game of the year and everybody struggles in the first game a little bit. That was a tough team, so I’m just happy to get the win.” Sophomore Michael Buckland filled in for injured point guards Kenny Cooper and...
