Allen Arena hosted another exciting game on Thursday night as the Bisons’ basketball team topped Florida Gulf Coast University 92-71 with the help of sharp 3-point shooting.
From the tip-off, the Eagles of FGCU scored two points to lead 2-0, but the Bisons answered, scoring six straight three-pointers. From there, Lipscomb never looked back, leading by 20 at the half.
Bisons head coach Casey Alexander said that the shooting helped lead the team to victory.
“We shot the ball great the whole night, and making our first six was a huge lift for us…confidence wise, and we held the lead from there,” Alexander said.
In the second half, the Bisons cooled off, but they stayed consistent and continued to be aggressive, take shots and most importantly, make the shots. In total, Lipscomb scored fifteen three’s, six from junior forward Martin Smith, one from senior guard/forward Khion Sankey, three from freshman guard Josh Williams and three from redshirt freshman guard J.C. Hampton.
Martin Smith and Hampton tied for 21 points to lead the team. Junior forward Malcolm Smith and sophomore guard Talbott Denny also scored double digits with 20 points and 11, respectively.
As good as the shooting was, Alexander said that the perimeter shooting was not necessarily part of the plan on Thursday.
“We just took the shots that came to us,” Alexander said. “We didn’t come out here trying to shoot a lot of three’s; that wasn’t really part of the game plan.”
FGCU responded to Lipscomb’s shooting, as junior guard Brett Comer lead the charge with 27 points. It was not enough, however. The Eagles, over the course of the game, turned the ball over six more times than the Bisons, contributing to Lipscomb’s win.
Alexander explained that the real goal was to be aggressive.
“We just wanted to be aggressive in everything that we did,” Alexander said. “I felt like our guys took the mission to heart and played really hard for forty minutes.”
On the defensive side, the Bisons faced a good, momentum-based offense in FGCU. The Eagles, on average, score about 72 points per game, and according to Alexander, are a good team in transition. Lipscomb countered by playing zone to slow their offense.
“They’re such a good team and their strength is putting you on your heels, and if they can get you to do that, then you’re in trouble,” Alexander said.
Both the Eagles and Bisons have clinched a berth in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament prior to this game. The standings are subject to change because of fifth-seeded Lipscomb’s win over second-seeded FGCU and sixth-seeded North Florida’s upset win against first-seeded Mercer.
The Bisons conclude their season with a home matchup against Stetson on Mar. 1.
Game notes: Lipscomb scored 15 points off of turnovers, while FGCU scored four. FGCU rebounded 35 times, and Lipscomb had 33 rebounds. The score was never tied, and there was only one lead change.
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