by Russell Vannozzi | Feb 21, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Florida Gulf Coast men’s basketball team had bad memories from the last time Lipscomb visited Alico Arena, and the Eagles got their revenge Wednesday night. FGCU knocked off the Bisons with a stunning, 67-61 victory. It was Lipscomb’s first visit to Fort Myers since its 108-96 victory in last year’s ASUN title game. The Bisons (21-6, 12-2 ASUN) have now dropped two of their last three contests, but the latest loss is the most damaging to their postseason hopes. Previously, Lipscomb’s worst loss was to Belmont (NET: 58), but FGCU entered the night ranked much lower at No. 244. Poor shooting led to Lipscomb’s worst offensive night The Bisons shot just 29 percent (20-of-68) from the field in their worst offensive showing of the season. The dismal performance came exactly one week after the team shot 36 percent and scored just 66 points in a home loss to Liberty (23-5, 12-1 ASUN) on Feb. 13. Lipscomb never fully settled into its offense and missed numerous shots around the basket. Senior forward Rob Marberry was held to eight points – well under his season average of 14.9. Eagle defense was stifling Of course, the FGCU defense had something to do with Lipscomb’s poor performance. The Eagles took advantage of light officiating in the paint and finished with 10 blocks. FGCU forward Brian Thomas was responsible for six of those blocked shots. The 6-foot-9 big man also pulled down seven rebounds, while Zach Scott had eight boards. Lipscomb shot itself in the foot by committing 11 turnovers, which led to nine FGCU points. FGCU’s Mercurius came...
by Russell Vannozzi | Feb 17, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
KENNESAW, Ga. – The 2018-19 season continues to be tough sledding for the Lipscomb women’s basketball team. Despite a win over Jacksonville last Saturday and a narrow loss to Liberty on Tuesday, the Lady Bisons regressed Saturday afternoon in a 67-36 blowout loss at Kennesaw State. “I did not see this coming,” Lipscomb coach Greg Brown said. “I liked what we had done over the last few weeks. We had two very good days off practice [after losing to Liberty].” The Lady Bisons (3-22, 1-11 ASUN) committed 24 turnovers and shot just 23 percent (13-of-57) from the floor. Kennesaw State took full advantage by scoring 26 of its 67 points off turnovers. “The missed shots, especially when you miss shots in the paint, mess up your transition getting back [on defense],” Brown said. “When you have 24 turnovers and shoot 23 percent, it’s going to be tough.” The Owls led 28-18 at halftime but used a 12-0 run to start the third quarter to pull away from the Lady Bisons. Kamiyah Street had a game-high 25 points for Kennesaw State and routinely burned Lipscomb’s defense on fast breaks. Owl guard Amani Johnson also had 16 points. “I just tell them to put energy and emotion toward things you can control,” Brown said. “We’ve done a good job of that, for the most part. But we did not do a good job of that today.” Lipscomb freshman Keely Morrow was a bright spot. The forward followed up her 22-point performance at Liberty with a team-high 17 points and seven rebounds. “Keely’s had a great few weeks,” Brown said. “Things are...
by Russell Vannozzi | Feb 14, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb men’s basketball team just hit a speed bump in what has otherwise been a near-perfect season. After the Bisons handed Liberty a 79-59 defeat in Lynchburg, Virginia on Jan. 29, the Flames returned the favor by escaping with a 74-66 victory Wednesday in front of 3,437 Allen Arena fans. “The only thing to do is tip your hat to [Liberty],” Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander said. “Our teams are comparable… we’re both efficient at what we do. They were just better.” The loss was Lipscomb’s first in ASUN play and snapped an 11-game win streak. The Bisons (20-5, 11-1 ASUN) had not lost since Dec. 30 at Clemson (84-67). Lipscomb senior Rob Marberry led all scorers with 22 points, while Garrison Mathews had 19. Five Flames finished in double figures, including Lovell Cabbil (16) and Scottie James (15). Lipscomb fell behind early and never regained the lead. Eight different Flames scored in the first half, and Liberty held a 38-27 advantage at halftime. Liberty’s low-tempo style threw the Bisons for a loop. Lipscomb committed 12 turnovers and shot 37 percent from the field. In the second half, the Bisons made just one of their 11 three-point attempts. “The tempo was a struggle for us,” Alexander said. “It was a low-possession game. We didn’t have much movement offensively early…we got the ball inside and had empty possessions.” Liberty (22-5, 11-1 ASUN) led by as many as 16 points with 18:21 remaining. But the Bisons showed resiliency and kept chipping away at the deficit. A three-point play from Ahsan Asadullah cut Liberty’s lead to 62-58 with 3:58 left, and Mathews...
by Russell Vannozzi | Feb 12, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
Former Lipscomb pitcher Chris Nunn thought his professional baseball career was over on multiple occasions. He was released by San Diego, Milwaukee and Houston. He left the game in 2016 to pursue an MBA at Lipscomb. He nearly lost vision in his right eye after taking an elbow to the face in a pickup basketball game. And, recently, he had to deal with his mother’s breast cancer diagnosis. But on Jan. 28, the 28-year-old inked a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers, who project him to begin the season with Triple-A Nashville – a two-mile drive from his apartment in The Gulch. How did Nunn get here? And how, after all this time, is he back within striking distance of a life-long dream that seemed to be long lost? It took a change in his mindset and workout philosophy, an increase in pitch velocity and a little help from Twitter. Heating up in January It’s a 35-degree January day in Nashville, and Nunn is scrambling to get a quick bullpen session in at Lipscomb’s Ken Dugan Field, a place that “feels like home” to him. He’s working against the clock, because his former college team will be using the field that afternoon. Lipscomb pitching coach James Ogden lets Nunn use the team’s facilities provided that the current players take precedence. The hurler grabs Lipscomb junior Jarrett O’Leary to be his catcher, only to find out that the radar gun in the bullpen needs a new battery. Odgen promptly fixes that issue to bring Nunn’s workout to life. This isn’t supposed to be any type of show. Nunn is...
by Russell Vannozzi | Feb 8, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Lipscomb men’s basketball team has always been known for its offense, dating back to the Don Meyer NAIA days in the 1980s and 90s. But this season, it’s been the team’s defense that has turned close games into blowouts. Lipscomb’s 92-55 victory over North Florida Wednesday night was the team’s largest margin of victory in its ASUN history. “That’s the most underrated part of our team,” Lipscomb junior Michael Buckland said. “Our experience helps. We know the tendencies of our conference opponents. It’s just executing scouting reports and going out there and playing.” KenPom.com ranks Lipscomb as the nation’s 14th-best in adjusted defensive efficiency, or points allowed per 100 possessions. The Bisons have allowed just 66 points per game in ASUN play, and they’ve held four conference opponents to less than 60 points. The adjusted defensive efficiency statistic is helpful for gauging the strength of the Lipscomb defense because its high-tempo offense affords opponents more possessions and opportunities to score. The Bisons ranked 316th in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency in 2014-15, but they have steadily climbed the rankings since. “We’re known for our offense, but people need to realize that we practice defense a ton,” senior Garrison Mathews said. “If you look at the KenPom rankings and stuff, we’ve improved each year. It’s been great.” The Bisons, who have a +2.8 turnover margin, play with intensity on defense and often force opponents out of their rhythm. North Florida committed 15 turnovers to Lipscomb’s 10, and the Ospreys shot just 34 percent from the floor. “Defense is so much effort and a willingness to do...
