Lipscomb’s Office of Student Life hosted an NIT watch party in the Bison Cafe center Tuesday to allow students, faculty and alumni to gather together for the Lipscomb-Wichita State semifinal showdown on ESPN.
At least 250 faithful Lipscomb supporters turned out for the party. The Bisons beat the Shockers 71-64 to advance to the NIT championship game, where they will face the Texas Longhorns Thursday at 6 p.m. CT.
Lipscomb had about 400 supporters on the ground in New York, but the rest of the fans were in Bennett Campus Center or watching at home.
The first half of the game went smoothly and the noise from the Bisons fans grew as the team quickly gained a lead and finished the half leading 35-30. The crowd initially had around 150 fans, but it continued to grow around halftime.
The fans spent halftime enjoying popcorn, raffles, snacks and dinner in the Lipscomb cafeteria while chatting about the fate of their beloved Bisons.
Going into the second half, the crowd had grown to around 250 people and the chatter of the fans grew with the size. The Bison fans were on the edge of their seats for the majority of the second half watching as the team played out of rhythm for the first portion of the second half.
The Shockers gained a 61-50 lead with six minutes left, and Lipscomb fans began to draw weary.
But a clutch three from senior Nathan Moran brought the crowd back to life. Shortly after Moran’s three, Rob Marberry hit a triple and the crowd went wild again.
Moran’s shot was just the beginning of the Bisons’ hot streak in the second half. Minutes later, Garrison Mathews hit a three 0ff an assist from Kenny Cooper.
Freshman John Tomlinson, one of the team’s loyal supporters, was especially impressed by the play.
“The last three that Gary hit on this little behind the back between him and Kenny, that’s when I was like, ‘This game’s over. We just came back,'” he said.
From this point on the players stayed hot, and fans stayed rowdy. Lipscomb is expected to host another watch party on Thursday, but final details have not been announced yet.
Photos by author