by Hunter Patterson | Jan 30, 2012 | News Slider, Sports
In the last installment of the series we discussed Belmont’s winning streak that began in 1967. Today, we dive into the game that ended that streak. It was 1972 and the Rebels had dominated the Bisons for the last four years. Over those eight games the closest that Lipscomb came to beating the team down the road was in 1969 in a 61-59 game. 12/2/1967 at Belmont Belmont 102-86 1/20/1968 at Lipscomb Belmont 54-46 1/18/1969 at Lipscomb Belmont 61-59 2/15/1969 at Belmont Belmont 78-48 1/17/1970 at Belmont Belmont 95-81 1/31/1970 at Lipscomb Belmont 83-70 1/14/1971 at Lipscomb Belmont 96-88 2/11/1971 at Belmont Belmont 87-74 1/13/1972 at Belmont Lipscomb 88-86 Still, in true rivalry fashion, Belmont battled back tying the game with about three minutes to go. Lipscomb then tied the game with a jump shot and played tight defense on the way back down the floor. Lipscomb held on for the win and a streak their own.Lipscomb, then lead by coach Mike Clark, led by as many as 14 points in the game and led by 11 at halftime. The Bisons had the lead for 36 straight minutes after Belmont opened the scoring.But finally, on January 13, 1972, the Bison played a back and forth game versus the Rebels, but came out on top at the end. The streak lasted all of 25 days. Belmont beat Lipscomb in McQuiddy gym in a double overtime game that ended 79-76 in the Rebels favor. The following article was taken from the January edition of the 1972 Babbler. by Danny Dozier The Jan. 13 victory over arch rival Belmont college has...
by Hunter Patterson | Jan 29, 2012 | News Slider, Sports
The Bisons had gone winless in two tries before playing Belmont in the ’67-’68 season. Still, Lipscomb was averaging over 90 points a game and won the last four times when playing in Belmont’s gym. Moreover, the Rebels of Belmont had already upset a top-ranked Tennessee Wesleyan just in its first game. However, the Bisons coached by Guy Phillips, would not be able to beat Belmont that time around or the rest of the season for that matter. In the game at Belmont the Bisons lost 102-86 followed up by an uncharacteristically low scoring affair, a 54-46 loss at Lipscomb. There is no word if they were playing a half-court game during that second matchup. The loss at Belmont started the biggest win streak for the Rebels/Bruins during the entire 129 game series. During the first outing, both Coach Phillips and his team were very (overly) optimistic about their chances heading into what was then called a mere “cross-town rivalry” with no boulevard at stake. Take Eddie Montgomery (no, not the taller half of the country music duo Montgomery Gentry) went into the Belmont game thinking they could beat not only the Rebs but also any other team in the country. “We’ve got the offense to blow somebody out of the gym. Our fast-break is working like a charm, and we should be able to run Belmont to death.” The entire article from the December 1967 Babbler can be read below. By Byron Nelson Cross-town rivalry flares up again tomorrow afternoon as the Bisons invade Belmont to take on the Rebels in their Homecoming game at 2 p.m. Traditionally,...
by Hunter Patterson | Jan 27, 2012 | News Slider, Sports
The Battle of the Boulevard. A rivalry often defined by distance, integrity, fierce competitiveness and respect. The schools set just two miles apart on the same boulevard. In all of the NCAA, there are not two schools that sit closer to one another. The game itself has the ability to bring out the best in any player, coach or team. Ever since the McQuiddy gym days, fans have had an extreme impact on the outcome of games. The Battle, while it is only two halves at a time, seems like a war. It’s a war on the court between the players. Ten men at a time, battling not only for a boulevard, but for every inch of the court, every loose ball and every ounce of pride that one may have after a win against that “team down the road.” Lipscomb and Belmont have played 129 times leading up to the February third matchup in Allen Arena on Don Meyer court. While Lipscomb holds the lead in the series 73-56, the two are tied since both schools have gone to the NCAA. Twenty-four of those 73 wins were in the 1980s with the likes of Phil Hutcheson and John Pierce on the team. During that span, Belmont won only six games. However, in the 50s, 60s and 70s, Belmont had the better record. Over the next week, the Battle of the Boulevard will be highlighted with articles dating back from 1960 to 2011. The wins, the losses, the heartbreak, the revelry, and the rivalry. “Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings...
by Hunter Patterson | Oct 23, 2011 | Sports
Ever since Lipscomb and Belmont played their first basketball game in 1953, they’ve been rivals. With the two schools being on the same street just a couple miles away, it was practically inevitable. However, looking back over the history of Lipscomb athletics, you’ll find more than just Lipscomb-Belmont. They were instead, other schools in town. “In the 1950s, East Tennessee State was a huge rival for David Lipscomb College,” said Andy Lane, associate athletic director. In those games, the team would actually get on a train and head to east Tennessee to play. Now, both teams are in the Atlantic Sun, so the fire is still there, but Lane says it was a lot different then. What most students don’t know is that the Trevecca Nazarene game was that game to be at. Known as the “Bleacher Creatures” during the ’80s, Lipscomb fans would pack both McQuiddy and Trevecca’s Trojan Field House so much that actions had to be taken to prevent from breaking any laws. “In McQuiddy, the fans were right on top of you,” Lady Bisons head coach Frank Bennett says. “Those games were as intense as any we have ever had,” Lane says. Communications professor Jimmy McCollum recalls one game where the fire marshal forced Lipscomb to shut the doors on the gym because it had reached maximum capacity. “We had what I believe was a perfect storm for rivalries,” McCollum said. “We had a small gym, we had an excellent team consistently ranked in the top 5 or 10 across the nation in the NAIA and we had not only one but two local rivals...
by Hunter Patterson | Oct 17, 2011 | News Slider, Sports
Sweep? Yes, Lipscomb will take one. It’s not often that Lipscomb and Belmont play one another three times in four days, but in 2011, it happened. Lipscomb came out on top each time, too. In volleyball, the Lady Bisons continued their conference winning streak, beating Belmont in five sets. The Lady Bisons won this edition of the “Battle of the Boulevard”, but it was a come-from-behind effort. Belmont won the first set 25-20 and the Lady Bisons evened the match at 1-1 with a 25-23 second set. Belmont bounced back to win set three 25-20. But the Lady Bisons came back in a big way in set four with a 25-13 decision. In set five the Lady Bisons held a 10-5 lead but had to hold on at the end for a 15-13 decision. Middle blocker Katie Rose lead the team in kills with 20 and tied for the team lead in digs with 19. Stephanie Rex also had 19 digs. The Lady Bisons are now 13-6 overall and 7-0 in the Atlantic Sun. Friday night, the women’s soccer team hosted Belmont for Part II of the “Battle of the Boulevard.” With the 2-1 victory, it marked the first time that the Lady Bisons had ever beaten the other team on the boulevard. The game-winning goal came from the head of Katie Wood off of a corner kick from Daniel Bethke. The win will prove to be a gigantic one looking back on the season. This could be the start of something good the Coach Ireland’s team going in to the end of conference play. The Lady Bisons...
