by Spencer Boehme | Mar 11, 2019 | News Slider, Opinion, Sports
The stage was set for the ASUN men’s basketball championship game on Sunday afternoon. After a stormy Saturday, the sun came out and fans began filling Allen Arena to watch the No. 1 Lipscomb Bisons (25-7) take on the No. 2 Liberty Flames (28-6). And then Lipscomb lost a heart-wrenching, back-and-forth contest, 74-68. “It was an unbelievable day,” Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander said. “And I’m proud of our team for being in a position to host this game, and I love the Lipscomb people who showed up and made it a great day for us.” 5,607 fans showed up to the sellout game, setting a new Allen Arena record. It was difficult to find an empty seat, and the raucous crowd made itself seen and heard. Instead, Sunday’s game featured towel-waving fans in a nationally televised game that lived up to its expectations. “I think the ASUN won tonight,” Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay said. “That crowd was terrific. That was a great atmosphere.” The big question is: can Lipscomb continue to fill its arena? First, we have to acknowledge the fact that Sunday’s game was special and doesn’t happen every day. That makes my answer an immediate ‘no.’ Second is the fact that Lipscomb lost on Sunday. That’s not to diminish the novelty of Sunday, especially when you look at the Bisons’ recent attendance boosts. Starters Kenny Cooper and Michael Buckland will be seniors next season. Redshirt freshman Ahsan Asadullah played some solid basketball on Sunday with eight points, nine rebounds and two steals. The fans loved watching him. Overall, there are a lot of bench players who...
by Russell Vannozzi | Mar 7, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
Just four teams remain in the ASUN tournament, and only two will still be standing after tonight. No. 1 Lipscomb and No. 5 NJIT will battle at Allen Arena at 7 p.m. Thursday, while North Florida and Liberty will clash for the other spot. The two semifinal winners will then meet for the ASUN tournament title on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT (TV: ESPN). The Bisons hold a 7-2 series lead over the Highlanders, but NJIT nearly pulled an upset on Lipscomb’s Senior Night on Feb. 25. Four late free throws from senior Garrison Mathews helped Lipscomb fend off NJIT’s furious second-half comeback attempt, and the Bisons pulled out an 81-77 victory. But on Jan. 16, the two programs met in Newark, New Jersey, and the result was much different. Behind 23 points from Rob Marberry and 17 from Matt Rose, the Bisons cruised to a 70-52 victory over the Highlanders. You can listen to tonight’s game LIVE HERE on Lumination Radio or watch it on ESPN+. BREAKING DOWN THE HIGHLANDERS: NJIT (21-11) finished the regular season on a sour note by losing six of its final eight games. But the Highlanders made up for that by upsetting No. 4 Florida Gulf Coast by a score of 83-78 in Monday’s ASUN quarterfinal in Fort Myers, Florida. Highlander guards Zach Cooks and Diandre Wilson were both outstanding and combined to score 51 points. Big-bodied forward Abdul Lewis, an ASUN first teamer, added 18 points of his own in 37 minutes of action. The victory was NJIT’s first postseason win in program history. The Highlanders joined the ASUN conference for the...
by Spencer Boehme | Mar 4, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
Lumination Radio is set to broadcast the ASUN quarterfinals men’s basketball game between the No. 8 Kennesaw State Owls and the No. 1 Lipscomb Bisons. Spencer Boehme will be on play-by-play, while Russell Vannozzi will provide color. You can access the free live stream here. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m....
by Mckenzi Harris | Mar 2, 2019 | Galleries
Lipscomb fans will get to see the Lipscomb men’s basketball team host every game it plays in the ASUN tournament next week. After an 87-75 win at North Alabama’s Flowers Hall on Friday night, the Bisons (23-6, 14-2 ASUN) secured the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage for the ASUN tournament thanks to a tiebreaker over Liberty. “I’m certainly pleased and proud of our team,” Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander said. “I think people picked us to be first, and we finished first.” Full story by Spencer Boehme here. « ‹ of 2 ›...
by Spencer Boehme | Mar 1, 2019 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb fans will get to see the Lipscomb men’s basketball team host every game it plays in the ASUN tournament next week. After an 87-75 win at North Alabama’s Flowers Hall on Friday night, the Bisons (23-6, 14-2 ASUN) secured the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage for the ASUN tournament thanks to a tiebreaker over Liberty. “I’m certainly pleased and proud of our team,” Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander said. “I think people picked us to be first, and we finished first.” The tiebreaker with Liberty (also 14-2 ASUN) came down to how both teams played against No. 3 seed North Florida. The Bisons beat North Florida twice, while the Flames split their contests with the Ospreys. Senior forward Rob Marberry dominated in the paint on Friday night, leading with 22 points (10-of-12 field goals). “It’s good to bounce back, have a good offensive game,” Marberry said. “Pretty balanced offensive game throughout the whole team.” Video by Erin Franklin The Bisons were led in rebounds by senior forward Eli Pepper, who had 10. Junior guards Michael Buckland and Kenny Cooper tied with five assists apiece. The Lions (10-21, 7-9 ASUN) were led by freshman guard Jamari Blackmon, who had 22 points and tied with senior guard and forward Kendall Stafford for a team-leading three assists. Stafford also posted a double-double with 16 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. The Bisons and the Lions struggled for most of the first half. Nobody scored a field goal until Pepper dunked at the 17:32 mark to give Lipscomb the 3-0 lead. With 9:25 left in the first, the Bisons led 21-12, but the Lions...
