by Erika Plunkett | Aug 15, 2019 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider, Sports
Rob Marberry, one of the leaders of the Lipscomb basketball team that made it to the NIT semis this year, is taking his basketball talents to Estonia. On Wednesday, the Nashville native and standout forward who played high school ball for Franklin Road Academy, agreed to a deal with Estonian team KK Paulus Pärnu. KK Paulus Pärnu, which is also known as Pärnu Sadam, is a member of the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League. When asked whether he thought that he would ever have the opportunity to play professionally, Marberry’s reply was “Honestly, no.” “Looking back on high school, I didn’t have any indication on whether I would be a good college basketball player or not,” he said. “I had a rough patch my freshman year, not producing as much as I wanted to on the court. But, as time went on and I worked harder and harder, I saw it come in my vision.” After graduating from FRA in 2014, Marberry played his freshman season at Western Kentucky as a walk-on for the Hilltoppers before transferring to Lipscomb, where he started all three seasons he played. As a starter for the Bisons, he was an all-conference player in all three seasons, including first-team selections in his junior and senior years. Marberry was a member of the first Bison team to make it to the NCAA tournament as well as the first Bison team to play in the NIT Finals. In his senior campaign, he averaged 14.8 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 63 percent from the field. “You can see that we were a really good,...
by Kathryn Farris | Jul 31, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
Former Lipscomb star and aspiring NBA player Garrison Mathews has made a return to the Lipscomb campus for his “Garrison Mathews Pro Skills Mini-Camp.” The camp takes place Tuesday and Wednesday at the Lipscomb Academy gymnasium. “A lot of professional players will come back to their hometown, and in a way give back and teach to help the younger generation,” said basketball trainer Colin Stevens, who is helping with the camp. “This is all about Garrison connecting with his people in Nashville and making his imprint now that he’s going on to D.C.” The Lipscomb grad’s NBA career kickstarted late June when he signed a two-way deal with the Washington Wizards. “It’s such a blessing…something I’m going to continue to work for and keep trying to stick,” said Mathews. Mathews represented the Wizards in the NBA summer league, where, he said: “There were some ups and downs, it’s a tough grind for sure. It was a long summer, but it was good to work out with guys who are obviously great players.” For Mathews, the “Pro Skills Mini-Camp” gives him the opportunity to return to the campus where he spent the past four years. “They [Lipscomb] did a lot for me on the court and helped me become the player I am today, but they’ve helped me off the court in so many ways that nobody knows. “I’ve grown so much as a person and not just a player, I can’t thank Lipscomb enough.” The camp welcomes players grades six-12 for the two-day event. “Hopefully they [participants] learn a little about basketball and a lot about themselves,” said Stevens. According to Stevens, this...
by Grant Ledgister | Jul 18, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
The last couple of weeks have been big for former Bison Men’s Basketball standout Garrison Mathews. Not long after officially signing a two-way contract with the Washington Wizards, Mathews participated in the NBA Summer League with the team. He played in the final two of the team’s four games. Playing against the Los Angeles Clippers, Matthews was in the game for 19 minutes and scored seven points on 3-4 shooting from the field. His points included the first three of the game. In the Wizards’ final game against the Atlanta Hawks, Mathews had significantly more playing time, scoring 11 points (nine of which came from 3-pointers) in 30 minutes. Mathews will look to bring his ability to score from beyond to the arc to the next step in his journey to play for an NBA team during the regular season. He will be playing the majority of his minutes with Washington’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go. Mathews will have some time off between now and when he has to report to the Wizards organization once again. The official date for the start of both NBA and G League training camps has not been announced yet, but they typically begin in late September and October, respectively. Per NBA regulations, Mathews could spend training camp on the Wizards roster if the organization so chooses. Otherwise, he will do it as a member of the Go-Go. After training camp, Mathews will then play in the G League regular season. The season begins in the fall, shortly after its training camps, and has its playoffs in the spring. At any point...
by Mckenzi Harris | Jul 10, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb alum Garrison Mathews successfully found the three-point line during his first NBA Summer League game as a member of the Washington Wizards. His team lost to the Los Angeles Clippers, 90-72, but it was a successful outing for the former Lipscomb star who led the Bisons to the NIT championship game last winter. He also contributed to his team in their July 11 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, and he now has a total of 18 NBA points. His first game on July 9, though, set the stage for his career; and he had a hot start in the losing effort against the Clippers in the game played in the Thomas & Mack Center at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and broadcast on ESPN3. The former Bison scored the first three of the game for the Wizards and hit three out of his four shots from the field, for a total of seven points in 19 minutes played. Mathews went into this game with something to prove in his bid to make it in the NBA, and he did just that. He continued his campaign for a professional career July 11, when he scored 11 points for the Wizards in their 76-74 squeaker past the Atlanta Hawks. Here is a tweet from the Washington Wizards page of Mathews. (Mathews is wearing number 24). .@gmathews_24 starting ?. #WizSummer | #DCFamily pic.twitter.com/iStHbhjH16 — Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) July 10, 2019 Photo courtesy of the...
by Cavin Jacobson | Jul 9, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb’s women’s soccer players got a big boost by watching the U.S. nation squad win the World Cup. Lipscomb’s women’s soccer players are thrilled by Sunday’s 2-0 championship victory over the Netherlands, the second World Cup championship in a row, since the U.S. women also won in 2015, the preceding tournament. It is the fourth World Cup championship for the U.S. women since the legendary ’99ers captivated the world 20 years ago. “During the World Cup, it was exciting to see people who don’t play soccer be so engaged and supportive of this women’s team,” said Logan McFadden, a sophomore defender. And it wasn’t just the excitement of the fans, “hearing sports broadcasters and newspeople talk about the change and popularity they have brought” adds to the thrill, she said. Of course, when a team is expected to win, things could backfire quickly if the women had lost, according to McFadden. “All that hype and stardom they had received would have turned against them.” The pressure didn’t slow down the U.S. women, she added. “Each game I watched, I saw the amount of fight they had and it was as if they knew the trophy wasn’t going to be handed to them, and the closer they got to the final, the harder they fought. They have proven they are the best and they deserve to be treated like it. “And now that a ton of more people saw that, there is no denying it.” Hannah Torbett, redshirt junior midfielder, said she’s simply inspired, “because I know how far the women’s game has come.” And, to her, it’s almost like...
by Erika Plunkett | Jul 9, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb’s men’s soccer team has signed on with international sports apparel giant PUMA. The men’s soccer team’s three-year agreement with PUMA puts them in an unparalleled position in NCAA soccer. The deal, struck earlier this summer, puts the men’s soccer team in a unique position at Lipscomb, as the rest of the athletics teams are going to be outfitted by a PUMA competitor (see related story on this site.) “In today’s age, landing a fully-supported deal with an industry-leading brand like PUMA is unique, and it will keep our men’s soccer program on the forefront of the NCAA landscape as the game continues to grow in America,” Lipscomb Associate AD for External Affairs Brent McMillian said in a statement released by Lipscomb Athletics. All Lipscomb men’s soccer apparel will be provided by PUMA, whose internationally recognized name will continue to grow Lipscomb’s reputation, which reached new heights after the team reached the Sweet Sixteen last fall. “We are very excited to enter into an agreement with PUMA, a company that has long been at the forefront in the game of soccer,” 2018 ASUN Men’s Soccer Head Coach of the Year Charles Morrow said in the statement. “Not only will this help with building the brand of our program, but it will also have a big impact in recruiting by being known as the leader of our game.” PUMA, which signed the back-to-back Premier League Champions Manchester City earlier this year, will also benefit from this deal as they continue to grow their markets in North America and in the international soccer community. Men’s soccer fan apparel also, of course,...
