by Bridgette Begle | Nov 7, 2013 | News Slider, Sports
Thursday, Nov. 7, the head basketball coaches of the Boulevard, Casey Alexander and Rick Byrd, met in the Hall of Fame room at Lipscomb University for the Golden Bison Luncheon. With the upcoming Battle of the Boulevard, both coaches sat down to talk about their connected past and how the future would look. Lipscomb coach, Casey Alexander, says that “[Byrd’s] greatest attribute to me is that he clearly knows what he wants and he won’t compromise anything to get there.” Quick recaps of both school’s programs were mentioned, all the way back to Lipscomb winning the NAIA National Championship in 1986. When both teams made the switch to Division I, Lipscomb took a head start as the team to beat between the two. Both coaches say they respect each other’s program and feel like they are heading into a situation similar to those days, but roles are reversed. “We are in a situation right now where the Belmont program is literally, if you look at the last five or ten years- it’s the best. This is who we are comparing ourselves to. So it is similar in that way,” Alexander said. With a rebuilding couple of years on the horizon for the Lipscomb team, Casey Alexander would rather jump start that with a win over Belmont. “It’s gonna be hard to find anyone that wants to win this game more than I do,” Alexander said. Battle of the Boulevard starts at 6 p.m. in Allen Arena Friday Nov....
by Jesica Parsley | Nov 6, 2013 | News Slider, Sports
The Lady Bisons defeated the Fisk Lady Bulldogs in the second and final exhibition game in Allen Arena Wednesday afternoon. Lipscomb got on the board first with a jump shot by sophomore Alex Banks. The Lady Bisons never looked back. The final score was 83-66. Four players scored in double digits for the Lady Bisons while Ashley Southern and Faith LeGate each posted a double-double. Southern, a redshirt sophomore from Tuscumbia, Ala., led the way with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Banks finished with 14 points and nine rebounds. Junior Sara Bliss had six assists on the night. All 10 players that are healthy got several minutes of playing time and all scored points in the game. “There are a lot of girls that haven’t played in a college game, so it’s good to see them get comfortable on the court and calm their nerves before the actual season starts,” Banks said. Stevonna Scott, the Fisk junior from Chattanooga, Tenn., led the game with 35 points. Rebounds were the key for Lipscomb. The Lady Bisons grabbed 54 rebounds with 20 of them being offensive. “We just crashed the boards as hard as we could which is what Coach jams into our minds every single day,” Banks said. Coach Don Meyer was in the stands and talked to the Lady Bisons after the game. “We all love Coach Meyer like he is our coach, and he is so wise,” Banks said. “It’s so great getting to talk to him.” The Lady Bisons begin regular season on Nov. 10 against Morehead State in Allen Arena. The game will be streamed on...
by Travis Byrd | Nov 6, 2013 | News Slider, Sports
The end is near for the Lady Bisons Volleyball seniors. With the Atlantic Sun Tournament on the horizon, there is a sense of urgency in the air for this year’s seniors. Caitlin Dotson, Stephanie Rex, and Claire Peterson have played together the last four years, and they all know this is their last chance to leave their mark on this program. “There is a bit of added pressure knowing this is my last go around, and it is the last chance I have,” Dotson said. “I think, more than anything, that I love this team, and I love this group of girls, and I want the most for all of them, as well as ending my career on a positive note, as well as setting a standard for this program.” Dotson has been a staple player for the Lady Bisons since her freshman year. She says that she’s seen a shift in the A-Sun over the past season. Despite the Lady Bisons’ recent success, Dotson says it’s important to treat each time the same. “Conference has really leveled out, and it has been fun to see some teams rise up, and every game is a fun game. That is something that I actually really enjoy. We are getting hot right now, and the biggest thing is to stay hot and to not underestimate anybody and realize this is anybody’s game,” Dotson said. The Lady Bisons know that their ultimate goal is getting to the NCAA Tournament, but to reach that goal, these seniors know they must take care of business in their own conference. Stephanie Rex has made the...
by Sydney Poe | Nov 4, 2013 | News Slider, Sports
Bison Week is once again upon us, leading us up to the biggest game of the season: the Battle of the Boulevard. “Bison week is an opportunity for students to build up the excitement for one of Lipscomb’s most epic events: Battle of the Boulevard,” said Stampede president TJ Ojehomon. Here’s a look at what you can look forward to this week. Monday: The HoopapaLUza pep rally will take place in Allen Arena at 9 p.m. The event will feature the Lipscomb Bisons basketball team and many prizes will be given out. The pep rally is also important for students because it’s where you can get your tickets to Friday’s Lipscomb vs. Belmont game. Tuesday: Movie night will start at 7 p.m. in Zebi’s lounge. They will be showing V for Vendetta, since it’s conveniently November the 5th. Wednesday: Wednesday Night We Eat will start in High Rise at 10 p.m. This week’s event will feature music from DJ Cottrill and also a push cart derby that starts at 11 p.m. Barbeque pork sandwiches will be served. Thursday: The annual Running of the Bison will start in Bison Square at 9 p.m. It’s a Lipscomb tradition that goes back many years to lead up to the final event. Friday: The Battle of the Boulevard will tip-off in Allen Arena at 6 p.m. Don’t forget to get your student ticket Monday night at HoopapaLUza. “Like any athlete will tell you, before you play any game, you’ve got to warm-up. You’ve got to practice. You’ve got to get prepared,” said Ojehomon. “That’s what Bison Week is. It’s the warm-up to cheer...
by Erika Thornsberry | Nov 2, 2013 | News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb’s women’s and men’s cross country teams are each Atlantic-Sun Conference Champions. The victory for the women’s cross country team makes this their third consecutive time winning conference. For the men, they’ve earned their first A-Sun title. Coming into the race, both teams were ranked number one in the coaches’ poll. Lipscomb’s men and women had four runners finish in the top seven. The top runner for the women’s team was freshman Sally Larson, who finished fourth in the race. “It’s awesome to have conference on our home course,” Larson said. “We have really fought with everything we had today. It was great to have so much school support here. I’m just thrilled for our team, and I’m really looking forward to the next 3 years here.” Besides helping the Lady Bisons win conference, Larson has been named Freshman Runner of the Year. Juan Gonzalez also had been named Freshman Runner of the Year from the men’s team. “Everyone was ready for this. We have been training so hard from summer up until now,” Gonzalez said. “We all knew this was going to be a hard race, but in the end, we were going to do whatever it took to finish.” Gonzalez and Larson ended their interviews giving all the credit to the Lord by saying, “All the Glory be to God.” Coach Bill Taylor was named both the A-Sun women’s and men’s coach of the Year. Other individual honors are as follows: WOMENS All-Atlantic Sun – First Team Selections Lipscomb – Sally Larson Lipscomb – Tessa Hoefle Lipscomb – Madelin Talbert Lipscomb – Dani Walker All-Atlantic Sun...
by Kyrsten Turner | Nov 1, 2013 | Sports
This week’s basketball exhibition games filled Allen Arena with the sounds of cheering fans, slick sneakers on the hardwood and plenty of booming buzzers. Through all the noise and confusion that accompanies live sports, the pep band is usually the one providing the structured soundtrack to the evening. “Emphasis on musicality,” said Elliot Bowman, Lipscomb’s pep band director for the year. “Instead of being a really loud band, we want to be able to hear all the parts, all the instruments. Each instrument does have an important role in each song we play and we want that to be showcased.” The conglomeration of trumpets, drums, flutes, clarinets, saxophones, trombones, a piccolo and a bass guitar bring together the best of wind and jazz instruments. “We don’t have any tuba players this semester but I’d love to have anybody that wants to play one,” Bowman said. Coming off the Bisons and Lady Bisons exhibition games, the pep band is ready to begin a new season. Bowman said the band isn’t just a way to showcase students’ musical talent, but a way to be more involved in the games and support Lipscomb athletics. “In the past, while [band members have] shown moderate interest, they’ve not been shouting with the cheerleaders and trying to help out like a normal student would,” Bowman said. “We’ll put a little bit of emphasis on that.” Jennifer Green, Bowman’s co-assistant, is looking forward to making the pep band a vital part of the game’s atmosphere. “We used to be a really small group that didn’t have much school spirit,” Green said. “Now, we have grown exponentially and...
