by Grant Ledgister | Jan 10, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
ASUN conference play is heating up, which means every game is important and no opponent should be underestimated. It was touch-and-go for a good portion of the first half, but the Lipscomb men’s basketball team turned up the heat on the North Florida Ospreys and never let go in an 81-66 victory at Allen Arena Tuesday night. Senior guard Garrison Mathews returned to action after missing last Saturday’s game with a leg injury he suffered at Clemson on Dec. 30. He scored 25 points and knocked down five shots from beyond the arc, in addtion to giving the Bisons a boost with his veteran leadership and poise. Lipscomb (11-4, 2-0 in ASUN play) has dropped four of its last five games to the Ospreys (7-10, 1-1 in ASUN play), and early on in Wednesday’s contest it looked as if trend might continue. Despite senior forward Eli Pepper grabbing his Lipscomb record-setting 841st rebound, neither team was playing particularly well. The teams combined for 16 turnovers – 9 of which were committed by Lipscomb – with around 8 minutes to go in the half. Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander said he was disappointed with how often his team turned it over. “This is three games in a row where we’ve uncharacteristically made a lot of turnovers,” he said. “We’ve got to fix it. It’s personal pride. It’s just being a little bit more solid decision-making performance.” The Bisons wouldn’t make the fix before the end of the first half, going on to commit 6 more turnovers. But they kept pouring on the points anyway. A good stretch of possessions, including a...
by Erin Franklin | Jan 10, 2019 | News Slider
Welcome back to campus! Christmas break is over, and we’re already revved up for another semester. 2018 was a big year for Lipscomb, but I’m excited to see what this year holds. This will be my last semester at Lipscomb as I am graduating this May, so I’m looking forward to a great and final semester with Lumination. I’m excited to share with you some news regarding our leadership staff. Our co-managing editor Cole Gray graduated in December, and while Lumination will sincerely miss his boldness, curiosity and knack for investigative journalism, I am pleased to introduce Spencer Boehme as our new co-managing editor. Russell Vannozzi will continue to serve as our co-managing editor as well. Lebron Hill is our A&E coordinator, bringing you the latest in Arts and Entertainment at Lipscomb, Nashville and beyond. Kathryn Farris will be working as our news coordinator, bringing you more breaking stories such as her most recent piece on Cyntoia Brown receiving clemency. Mckenzi Harris will bring her expertise in the digital realm as our social media director. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook! In addition to these hardworking editors, we have a talented staff of writers, photographers, videographers and more ready to bring you the news throughout the semester. If you are interested in joining the Lumination staff, please feel free to contact me to find out more information by emailing editor@luminationnetwork.com. We welcome all majors! Meetings are at 10 a.m. on Mondays and at 11 a.m. on Fridays in Ezell 155. Feel free to stop by one day to check it out! I’m looking forward to a great...
by Carly Reams | Jan 9, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
It’s been a rough season so far for the Lipscomb’s women’s basketball team as its twelve-loss streak continued with a 68-53 loss against North Florida Tuesday night. The Lady Bisons (2-13) faced off against their ASUN rival North Florida (6-7) at Allen Arena with hopes to move forward from their losing streak. That hope was defeated as Lipscomb left the court with another loss. On Tuesday, the Lady Bisons’ trouble was stopping turnovers from the Ospreys. By the end of the game, Lipscomb suffered a high 21 turnovers, and in the first two quarters a low field goal percentage. The Bisons just couldn’t seem to shoot or keep the ball well in the first half of the game. The Lady Bisons had major trouble penetrating through North Florida’s defense and was mainly only successful in their free throws for the night. Lipscomb is in the top five in the ASUN for free throw percentage, and for most of the night that percentage was at 100%. Lipscomb’s junior starting guard Carleigh Short took the first shot of the night — a three-pointer that put some numbers on the board early for Lipscomb. By the end of the game, Short left the court with a total of seven three’s for the night. That wasn’t enough though, and by the end of the third quarter, UNF had a 22-point lead. By the end of the game, the Lady Bisons cut North Florida’s lead to 15, but it wasn’t enough, as the Lady Bisons ended a five-in-a-row win record against UNF. The Lady Bisons will be looking to end their losing record as...
by Kathryn Farris | Jan 7, 2019 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced Monday morning that clemency will be granted to Cyntoia Brown. Brown is a Nashville woman who has spent 15 years behind bars for a murder she committed at age 16. She is expected to be released on parole on Aug. 7, 2019. The conditions of her parole say that she will have to attend regular counseling sessions, work with at-risk youth and maintain a job. Haslam’s decision to grant Brown clemency comes after a year of mounting pressure from activists, celebrities and Tennessee legislators. “This decision comes after careful consideration of what is a tragic and complex case,” Haslam said in a statement. “Cyntoia Brown committed, by her own admission, a horrific crime at the age of 16. Yet, imposing a life sentence on a juvenile that would require her to serve at least 51 years before even being eligible for parole consideration is too harsh, especially in light of the extraordinary steps Ms. Brown has taken to rebuild her life. “Transformation should be accompanied by hope. So, I am commuting Ms. Brown’s sentence, subject to certain conditions.” In 2015, Brown earned an associate’s degree through Lipscomb University’s LIFE program, which brings traditional and non-traditional students together for classes at the Tennessee Prison for Women. She issued a statement thanking both the Tennessee Department of Corrections and Lipscomb for the opportunity. “I want to thank those at the Tennessee Department of Corrections who saw something in me worth salvaging, especially Ms. Connie Seabrooks for allowing me to participate in the Lipscomb LIFE Program,” Brown said. “It changed my life. I am also grateful to those at the Tennessee Department...
by Kathryn Farris | Jan 5, 2019 | News Slider
With Governor Bill Haslam’s term ending only weeks away, activists across the country are strongly calling on him to take one last major act in office and grant clemency to Lipscomb graduate Cyntoia Brown. In Nashville, Metro Council members voted Thursday to officially request Haslam to grant clemency to Brown. She was 16 years old when she was tried as an adult and convicted of first-degree murder and robbery. In 2015, Brown graduated from Lipscomb with an associate degree through Lipscomb’s LIFE program. Rob Touchstone, a Lipscomb professor who taught Brown, spoke to the Tennessean about his experiences with Cyntoia. He told the Tennessean that Brown was “One of the best students I’ve had the blessing of teaching,” and he believes Brown is “using this experience that none of us could even imagine to become a better person.” However, controversy surrounds her life sentencing in multiple ways. Some argue that human trafficking is what led Brown to commit the crime. The defense argued that Brown was forced into prostitution after a life of abuse. In her testimony, Brown described being picked up by Johnny Mitchell Allen, a 43-year-old Nashville real estate agent. When the crime occurred, Brown said she believed he was reaching for a gun and intended to do her harm. Threatened for her safety, Brown shot and killed Allen in what she says was an act of self-defense. “Robbery” is what solidified the prosecutor’s case against Brown. After shooting Allen, Brown is reported to have stolen cash from his wallet. The prosecution used this to argue that the crime was a robbery rather than an act of self-defense....
by Russell Vannozzi | Dec 30, 2018 | News Slider, Sports
CLEMSON, S.C. – 2018 was a special year for the Lipscomb men’s basketball team. The Bisons won the ASUN tournament title, made their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance and continued their mid-major relevance by starting this season 9-3. But their last performance of the year was one to forget. Lipscomb shot the ball poorly in the first half and committed a season-high 22 turnovers in an 84-67 loss to Clemson at Littlejohn Coliseum Sunday. “Turnovers affected us in a big way, and I give [Clemson] credit for that,” Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander told LipscombSports.com. “Anyone who watches our team play knows [that] was uncharacteristic of us.” Senior guard Garrison Mathews led the Bisons with 19 points. He injured his left leg in the second half but returned seven minutes later and finished out the game with a noticeable limp. Clemson (10-3) used its size and speed to give Lipscomb fits throughout the game. The Tigers had 15 steals and six blocks on the defensive end, while guard Marcquise Reed (26 points) and forward David Skara (17 points) made their presence felt on offense in front of 7,879 fans. Lipscomb (9-4) outscored Clemson 40-38 in the second half, but the Bisons’ 19-point halftime deficit (46-27) was too much to overcome. Lipscomb shot just 38 percent (8-of-21) in the first 20 minutes. “We just needed to play better in the second half because we thought we could still win the game,” Alexander said. “We cut the margin significantly at the first media timeout just by being more solid and not making mistakes, but over the course of 40 minutes, Clemson was a lot better...
