Bisons stun Belmont on their own court, use second half run to get win

On Friday night, Lipscomb and Belmont met for the 129th time. This time at the Curb Event Center, Rick Byrd’s team had an uncharacteristic collapse, losing the game 85-74 improving the Bison’s record in the series to 73-56. While Lipscomb had won four of the last five meetings, the odds were against Scott Sanderson and his young team. With just three returning players from last year’s team – and Belmont returning all their starters – few believed that the Bisons had any chance. However, the men actually playing the game thought otherwise. Belmont had a three point lead at half, and with 9:18 left in the half, the Bruins had stretched their lead to 18. That is when the Bisons took control of the game. Going on a 28-6 run in the last 8:58 – and holding the Bruins scoreless for over six minutes – Lipscomb was able to take the lead at the 3:53 mark on a Deonte Alexander jump shot. From that point on, the closest that Belmont would get would be four points. Lipscomb held on to win with the final of 85-74. Ian Clark lead all scorers with 28 points. Jacob Arnett had a great shooting night that gave him 17 points on the evening. Other Bisons in double figures were Damarius smith (11), Deonte Alexander (11), Malcolm Smith (12), Justin Glenn (14) and Jordan Burgason (16). Burgason also got his 1000th point tonight, making him the sixth Lipscomb player to do so in the school’s NCAA era. The win snapped Belmont’s 22-game home win streak snapped, and it was their worst home conference loss since...

The Biggest Stories from 2011

It’s that time of the year again. You know, the end of it. And with the end of the year comes lists! On the front pages of CNN, ABC News, Yahoo! and other news sites there will soon be “The Best of 2011” or “The Biggest from 2011.” At Lumination Network, we opted for the latter. 2011 was a year of surprises. When the year began, we were all shocked by what happened to Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona. In March, Charlie Sheen ranted about “winning” and “Tiger Blood,” capturing the attention of the world…and ending his sitcom career prematurely. But 2011 was also a year of tragedy. On top of Senator Giffords being shot in her home state, one of the largest tsunamis in history hit Japan, which sent three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into meltdown, the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl. In April, tornadoes ripped through the states just south of us.There were more than 170 twisters on one day, leading to a death toll of nearly 300. And 2011 was a year of love. In the biggest wedding of our lifetimes, William and Kate got hitched. Prince William, of course, tied the knot with his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, got married outside Westminster Abbey in London on April 29. Over 23 million Americans watched the wedding from their couches. Undoubtedly, though, the biggest story of the year was the death of Osama bin Laden. As most of you remember, bin Laden was killed during a firefight in Pakistan nearly a decade after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and set off patriotic celebrations...

Lipscomb rallies against Memphis, loses in end 85-75

Lipscomb used a late second half run to take the Memphis Tigers down to the wire in an 85-75 loss Monday at the FedExForum. Down 14 with eight minutes to play, Lipscomb (6-7) utilized a 13-2 run accented by a three by freshman Martin Smith to bring the game within three, 73-70, with 4:45 remaining. After the teams exchanged free throws, Memphis’ (6-4) Chris Crawford hit a jumper in the paint and a turnover by Martin led to a three by Will Barton in the left corner to give the Tigers a 79-71 lead with 1:40 remaining. “I thought we competed for the whole game tonight,” said head coach Scott Sanderson. “I thought we did a nice job in executing the scouting report and what we were trying to do both offensively and defensively.” Barton’s basket was three of only seven points Memphis scored off of Lipscomb’s season-low five turnovers.  It was the lowest turnover tally for the Bison since committing five miscues against Middle Tennessee on Nov. 16, 2007. “I thought we did a much better job taking care of the basketball and I felt like that is what kept us in the game with just five turnovers,” Sanderson said. Senior Jordan Burgason and junior Deonte Alexander led Lipscomb with 16 points each.  Both hit four 3-pointers. The Bison were unable to control the hot shooting of the Tigers.  Memphis connected on 63.3 percent of its attempts in the first period and 56.9 percent for the game.  The Tigers scored 44 points in the paint. A three by junior Jacob Arnett and a putback attempt at the buzzer...

Court named in honor of legendary coach

Legendary coach Don Meyer now has his name on the court inside Allen Arena. With a coaching record of 655-179 in 24 years of coaching the Bisons, Meyer is undoubtedly the biggest name in Lipscomb sports history. It’s only fitting that his name be on the court in Allen. Though Meyer never coached a game inside the arena, the court will forever carry his name. “For all he has done on the court and all he has done with the records and accomplishments, this is what it is all about,” said Lipscomb Athletic Director Philip Hutcheson. “For the first time, and for everyone here, the court is officially yours.” Meyer, who is hardly ever overwhelmed, was very gracious about the court’s naming in his honor. “I want to thank God for letting me have enough time to see all thee guys for another time,” Meyer said, speaking to the nearly 70 former players that attended the ceremony. “That means a whole lot more than anything else.” Meyer’s family also joined him on the court, which was also fitting because one of Meyer’s biggest points during his career was to love those around you – especially family. “I have been very lucky to have had the family I have had,” Meyer said. “They made a lot of sacrifices to be a coach’s family.” Meyer was humbled by the day, and it self-admittedly made him tired. However, Meyer was still colorful as ever. “McQuiddy was the kind of gym that if you had 11 people in it was loud as the Boston Garden,” Meyer said. “McQuiddy was special.” Meyer has retired...
Friends of Paul Warren reflect on life, legacy

Friends of Paul Warren reflect on life, legacy

Paul Warren’s friends and coworkers shared their thoughts with Lumination about the loss of an “outstanding individual.” Warren, a 2006 Lipscomb graduate, was killed Thursday morning when his car rear-ended an 18-wheeler on Vietnam Veterans Parkway. The wreck, caused by fog and an icy road, was part of a chain-reaction accident involving more than 50 vehicles on the Korean War Veterans Bridge.  Aaron Flener, a 2005 Lipscomb graduate, was on the golf team and in Tau Phi with Warren. “I was immediately drawn to him because of his joyful nature,” said Flener. “I liked to surround myself with people that didn’t complain, and I was drawn to him because he was so happy.” Warren graduated from Lipscomb with a marketing degree and then worked as a graduate assistant coach for the golf program during the 2006-07 season while pursuing his master’s degree. Flener said Warren was a very talented golfer and guitarist but always maintained a humble attitude along with a great sense of humor. “If I ever wanted to feel good about myself, I would go tell Paul something…he would always laugh,” Flener said. “He would always make you feel like you were hilarious. I don’t think he realized how funny he was to everyone else.” Flener said Warren never spoke ill of people he knew. “He never had anything bad to say about anyone,” Flener said. “I consider myself a pretty good person, but I never heard him say anything bad about anyone. Not even behind their back.” Warren was employed at Volunteer State Bank, where he worked as relationship manager at the Shackle Island branch in...