by Danny Kotula | Nov 10, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb men’s basketball team kicked off the 2021-22 season with a high-scoring 105-98 win over Division III opponents Birmingham-Southern. The Bisons took control early, but had to weather various comeback efforts by the Panthers to win in their first game since bowing out of the ASUN Tournament in the first round last year. Offensively, Sheboygan, Wisconsin-born Jacob Ognacevic led Lipscomb with 30 points, 7 rebounds, and an assist. It took his entire contribution for the Bisons to stave off an upset attempt by the Panthers, an old NAIA rival of the Bisons decades ago. Jonathan Stewart provided 28 points for the Panthers on 10-for-15 shooting from the field. Stewart added 14 rebounds for a double-double in the loss for BSC. “I’ll be honest: I don’t feel like we played particularly well”, assistant coach Kevin Carroll said. “Ahsan Asadullah is our go-to guy, and he just had kind of an off night tonight. Even JO [Ognacevic] had a couple of uncharacteristic misses.” “The mark of a good team is finding different ways to win,” Carroll said. “There’s no one formula for winning. You’re going to play different teams that play different styles, but good teams just find a way to outlast the other team, and that’s what we did tonight.” The Panthers kept it close throughout, staying within 10 points during the entire first period. Pacing the Panthers was Stewart, who poured in 10 points in the first half and kept Lipscomb honest defensively. Freshman forward Jacob Ognacevic put up 12 of his 30 points in the first period, leading the way off the bench in his first appearance...
by Danny Kotula | Nov 9, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb women’s soccer team will face in-state opponents Tennessee 4 pm Friday in the first round of the 2021 NCAA College Cup, the team learned Monday afternoon during the NCAA Women’s Soccer Selection Show. The Bisons earned an automatic qualification spot Saturday when they won the ASUN Championship for the third time in four years against Kennesaw State. Tennessee will host Lipscomb in the second-ever meeting between the two sides and the home side’s first tournament appearance since 2018, when they reached the quarterfinal. The previous match between the two ended in a 0-0 draw after two overtimes in 2015. Lipscomb will make their third appearance in four years in the College Cup, also making a milestone year out of 2018 when they reached the 2nd round of the tournament. 10th-year head coach Kevin O’Brien was quick to give respect to a Tennessee squad he knows well. “I watched Tennessee in person this year when they came into town to play Vanderbilt,” O’Brien said. “[They’re] a fantastic team, well-coached with great organization and great athleticism.” When it comes to potential weaknesses to exploit, O’Brien admits there aren’t many to choose from. “There’s really not a whole lot that group is lacking, so it’s going to be a great test, but we’re up for it.” Boasting a 2-1 record against Power 5 opponents and a 1-1 mark against SEC schools this year, Lipscomb is no stranger to high-profile matchups. They also took down Mississippi State in the first round of their 2018 run, representing their only previous SEC contest in a College Cup match. Tennessee enters the match with...
by Micah Kennedy | Nov 9, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb men’s basketball team will commence the 2021-22 season with a mix of knowns and unknowns that leaves them projected to finish among the middle of the ASUN. This time last year, the team was projected to finish first in the ASUN. At season’s end, they finished third with a 15-12 overall record and were eliminated in the first round by Florida Gulf Coast. This year, the external expectations for the team aren’t as high, but there are several things that could lead to a successful 2021-22 campaign or an underwhelming one. What We Know Lipscomb is returning a number of key contributors this season that have been vital to the success of the team since head coach Lennie Acuff came on board in the 2019-20 season, junior center Ahsan Asadullah being the most notable. Asadullah enters into the season as a preseason All-ASUN player, and was placed on the Preseason Lou Henson National Player of the Year Watch List. After a breakout season in 2019-20, Asadullah followed up with another dominant season last year. He led the team in points per game (14.1), rebounds per game (8.0), and assists per game (3.4). The two-time ASUN first teamer will be the focal point of this team’s success and if he can maintain that production or somehow elevate it, this team has potential to surprise people. Along with Asadullah, the team is returning other notables such as sophomore guard KJ Johnson, junior guard Greg Jones, and grad student forward Parker Hazen. These players will provide the most experience and leadership outside of Asadullah and will carry the offensive load...
by Danny Kotula | Nov 8, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb men’s soccer team scored four goals in under 20 minutes to beat the Stetson Hatters Sunday afternoon in the ASUN Tournament Semifinal. With the win, the top-seeded Bisons progress to the conference final Saturday night against Central Arkansas in a rematch of last weekend’s regular season title-clinching overtime win. Four-seeded Stetson entered with momentum on their side, having beaten Lipscomb in 3-2 the previous meeting between the two this season. The Hatters also knocked Lipscomb out in their most recent tournament matchup in 2019. The first half threatened more of the same, as the visitors played with more vibrancy in attack than Lipscomb did. The Hatters had the bulk of the goal-scoring chances in the first 45, but a few great opportunities went begging. Stetson took five first-half shots all told, four of which were inside the 6-yard box, but only landed one on target and failed to find the back of the net. Lipscomb, meanwhile, only managed two shots in an underwhelming first half, not landing a single shot on goal. The second half, though, quickly changed the narrative. 17-year head coach Charles Morrow was quick to point out the change between the two halves. “We weren’t creative enough, and we talked a lot about front four movement [at halftime],” Morrow said. “It took a little while–Stetson plays a different shape, and they’re also very good in transition, on counter attacks. The first half was pretty tentative, but I think [the players] had a better feel for it in the second half.” The better feel was felt instantly by the Bisons, as substitute striker Tyrece Spicer...
by Danny Kotula | Nov 7, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb women’s soccer team claimed the 2021 ASUN Championship Saturday night in a 1-0 win over the Kennesaw State Owls at Lipscomb Soccer Complex. After beating the Owls in the 2019 edition of the final at the same venue, Lipscomb repeated the same feat two years later, winning their second ASUN title in the past three attempts. Collierville, Tennessee-born striker Kammy McGee was a member of the Bisons team that won on penalty kicks against KSU two years ago, but the 4th-year sophomore says this win feels different. “It’s bittersweet,” McGee said, who will move on from the Lipscomb program after this season as an academic senior. “This year has been a lot different; I’ve spent so much more this year. But it feels all the same [in terms] of just the hard work that this team has put in and how much they love Jesus.” McGee grabbed the winning goal in the first half, tapping in a pass from sophomore striker Molly Grant after Grant used tricky footwork to create space down the right side of the box. On a night where Lipscomb attempted 24 shots, it took a tap-in from McGee to give the Bisons a win they thoroughly deserved on both sides of the ball. “It was just timing the run, basically,” McGee said. “I didn’t really know if it went in or not–I kind of blacked out from excitement.” “I’m confident in Molly and her ability to get down the line and pass it.” Defensively, the Bisons’ back line made it relatively easy for sophomore goalkeeper CJ Graham to earn her unprecedented 13th clean...
by Micah Kennedy | Nov 5, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
The 2021-22 season is just days away for the Lipscomb basketball programs. The women’s team, led by third-year head coach Lauren Sumski, is coming off a winning season for the first time since 2004. The Bisons finished 12-10 during the shortened 2020-21 season, including a perfect 10-0 record at home. The 2021-22 slate carries 29 games and will serve as an opportunity for the team to prove they are ready to take the next step. Sumski has spearheaded the shift in team culture and plans to continue to equip her players to accept the challenge. “Things have changed,” Sumski said. “We are now operating under a level of expectation. We’re expected to maintain our competitiveness and improve upon it. This is the most mature we have ever been since I’ve been on board.” The Bisons will have the benefit of returning the vast majority of their team. Taylor Clark and Lindsey Whiteside were the only seniors on last year’s squad. Key contributors like sophomore guard Casey Collier, sophomore guard Jalyn Holcomb, and junior center Dorie Harrison are all back and will be looked at as the leaders of the team. “What excites me most is that they have all made tremendous improvements with their IQ and overall leadership.” Sumski said. “More than anything, these three players understand their role and are executing it more consistently.” While Collier and Holcomb are a tandem of shifty guards that can score at the rim and outside, Harrison is counted on to defend the paint and secure rebounds for the team. The Bisons are their most lethal when they are all contributing at...
