by Carter Sanderson | Nov 15, 2013 | News Slider, Sports
By Carter Sanderson and Cory Woodroof The Belmont Bruins made the short drive to Allen Arena Thursday night for the Lady Bisons’ edition of “Battle of the Boulevard,” making this the third game in five days for the Lady Bisons. However, Lipscomb (0-3) was joined by a new face. As of Thursday morning, the NCAA ruled Florida transfer Chandler Cooper eligible. Cooper made her debut in Thursday night’s match-up against Belmont, giving the Lady Bisons a solid lift. Cooper had 10 points and three rebounds in her first game with Lipscomb. The new Lady Bison did give the team a spark, but Lipscomb was only able to come up with 20 first-half points, trailing the Bruins 32-20 at the half. The Lady Bisons came out to start the second half, hitting back-to-back threes by guards Cooper and forward Ashley Southern, cutting the lead back to single digits. However, that wasn’t enough to overcome the strong showing by the Bruins backcourt in Jordyn Luffman and Blair Bryce,who were both in double-figures for the Bruins. Belmont won the contest 68-52. Ashley Southern led the Lady Bisons with 11 points and 16 rebounds, gaining another double-double on the year. Freshman Faith LeGate also had 10 points for the evening. Cooper says that while it’s been a while since she’s been on the court, she doesn’t expect it to be a long transition. “I haven’t played a game in over a year and a half,” Cooper said. “I’m a little out of shape, but that’s nothing that reps and practice can’t take care of.” The Lady Bisons will have a week to practice and prepare before...
by Cory Woodroof | Nov 10, 2013 | News Slider, Sports
Allen Arena has been an exciting-yet-heartbreaking place for basketball in the past few days. After the men’s basketball team nearly pulled off a big win over Belmont, the women’s basketball team opened their season in similar style, nearly topping their own Ohio Valley opponent. Despite a standout afternoon for redshirt sophomore Ashley Southern, the Lady Bisons fell in overtime 82-77 to the visiting Morehead State Lady Eagles. The Lady Bisons started off strong with two three-pointers from junior Sara Bliss, but Lady Eagle difference-maker Terrice Robinson began to put her own points on the board, giving Morehead State a brief lead. Soon after, Lipscomb took control of the first half, leading at halftime 33-25. The game looked to be far from the Lady Eagles’ reach when the Lady Bisons went up 47-33 with around fifteen minutes on the clock, but some key arch buckets from Robinson got Morehead State right back in the game. Lady Eagle Shanice Parker sunk a three at the 11:41 mark that that had the Lady Bisons’ lead down to four. The Lady Bisons began to once again distance themselves from Morehead, going up 57-49 at the eight minute mark, but more clutch play from the Lady Eagles allowed them to catch up to Lipscomb, taking a small lead as the final minutes ticked away. The Lady Bisons refused to call it quits, though, keeping the margin low for the Lady Eagles. With 19 seconds left, Robinson scored a layup that put Morehead up by 3, but a last-second three from Bliss sent the crowd into an uproar and the game into overtime. Though overtime...
by Cory Woodroof | Nov 8, 2013 | News Slider, Sports
A big storyline coming into tonight’s 133rd annual Battle of the Boulevard was the dawn of Casey Alexander’s era of Lipscomb men’s basketball in a season-opening game that pitted him against his old friend and new on-court competitor Rick Byrd. After the game, though, it’s pretty apparent that everyone will now be talking about how a group of Bisons under new leadership nearly toppled an Ohio Valley giant. Unlike last December’s demolishing 100-66 loss at the Curb Event Center, and last November’s 89-60 walloping at home, the Lipscomb men’s basketball team went blow for blow with the rival-down-the-road Belmont Bruins for forty minutes Friday night in Allen Arena, nearly upsetting Belmont in a close contest. In one of those games where it truly depended on who was holding the basketball last, a crowd of close to 5000 watched the Bruins emerge from the brawl victorious, winning 87-83 and notching a second consecutive ‘Battle’ win at Allen. From the get-go, Lipscomb and Belmont didn’t budge on letting either team take a wide margin lead. The Bruins were the first to get close, going up 20-10 at 11:06 in the first half with a potentially tone-setting dunk from redshirt senior Blake Jenkins. But, the Bisons remained persistent, chipping away at Belmont’s lead. At the half, Belmont led 35-32. In the second half, redshirt freshman J.C. Hampton and redshirt junior Carter Sanderson began to get open from the arc, knocking down key three-pointers that helped the Bisons go up by eight with 13:02 left in the game. However, the Bruins continued to capitalize on Lipscomb fouls from the line, never allowing the...
by Cory Woodroof | Nov 8, 2013 | News Slider, Sports
The past couple of seasons in Lipscomb basketball can be summed up in one word: change. In the past two years, the university has seen two coaching changes in two of its biggest sports programs. In 2012, former Lady Bisons basketball coach Frank Bennett transitioned into a role as an associate athletic director for the school, and former University of Central Florida assistant Greg Brown took on the role as head coach for the team. In April, longtime Bisons basketball coach Scott Sanderson resigned, and, in May, former Belmont assistant and Stetson coach Casey Alexander returned to Nashville to become the next coach of the Bisons. Alexander may be new to don the purple and gold, but he’s no stranger to town, having been a standout player and coach for the Bruins during his time with Rick Byrd’s legendary program (the two will meet again in tonight’s first installment of this year’s Battle of the Boulevard series). After leaving Belmont, he spent two seasons as the head coach for the Stetson Hatters before making the move to the other side of the boulevard as Lipscomb’s new coach. After spending the summer and fall semester getting acquainted with the team, Alexander is getting ready to begin his era of Bisons basketball. Alexander says that the transition into his new role at Lipscomb, on both a personal and professional level, was as smooth as it could be. “It’s been very easy,” Alexander said. “It’s a place that I was so familiar with and knew a lot about, and knew that it was the kind of place that I wanted to be,...
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....
