by Erika Plunkett | May 9, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
After sweeping FGCU and laying claim to the ASUN regular season title last weekend, reigning ASUN pitcher of the week, senior Mandy Jordan leads her Lady Bisons back to Ft. Myers for the 2019 ASUN Softball Tournament. In Thursday’s doubleheader, seniors Jenna Pealor and Graysen Gladden and juniors Hannah Devault and Peyton Ward batted in four runs. Errors by the Eagles allowed two more Bisons to score. Jordan was the player of the night as she pitched all seven innings in the first game shutout and got the save in the 4-2 game two win, allowing zero runs and only two hits. Although the Bisons clinched a bye in the ASUN tournament with Thursday’s victories, it was Friday’s win that proved all-important, giving the Bisons their first regular-season ASUN title since 2010. Jordan once again was the hero, pitching the entire game that went into extra innings. This was her second shutout of the series as the Bisons came away with a 1-0 victory over FGCU off of a DeVault RBI in the 10th inning, edging out Liberty for the top-seed in the ASUN tournament. Not only are the Lady Bisons the regular-season champions, but the ASUN named coach Kristin Ryman and DeVault the ASUN Coach of the Year and the ASUN Player of the Year respectively. DeVault also was honored with the ASUN Defensive Player of the Year award. In addition, senior Sarah Higgins, DeVault and Gladden represented Lipscomb on the ASUN’s all-conference first team, while Jordan and senior Jordan Fortel were named to the ASUN’s all-conference second team. Freshman Amy Vetula and freshman Katie Turner received...
by Russell Vannozzi | Feb 21, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Florida Gulf Coast men’s basketball team had bad memories from the last time Lipscomb visited Alico Arena, and the Eagles got their revenge Wednesday night. FGCU knocked off the Bisons with a stunning, 67-61 victory. It was Lipscomb’s first visit to Fort Myers since its 108-96 victory in last year’s ASUN title game. The Bisons (21-6, 12-2 ASUN) have now dropped two of their last three contests, but the latest loss is the most damaging to their postseason hopes. Previously, Lipscomb’s worst loss was to Belmont (NET: 58), but FGCU entered the night ranked much lower at No. 244. Poor shooting led to Lipscomb’s worst offensive night The Bisons shot just 29 percent (20-of-68) from the field in their worst offensive showing of the season. The dismal performance came exactly one week after the team shot 36 percent and scored just 66 points in a home loss to Liberty (23-5, 12-1 ASUN) on Feb. 13. Lipscomb never fully settled into its offense and missed numerous shots around the basket. Senior forward Rob Marberry was held to eight points – well under his season average of 14.9. Eagle defense was stifling Of course, the FGCU defense had something to do with Lipscomb’s poor performance. The Eagles took advantage of light officiating in the paint and finished with 10 blocks. FGCU forward Brian Thomas was responsible for six of those blocked shots. The 6-foot-9 big man also pulled down seven rebounds, while Zach Scott had eight boards. Lipscomb shot itself in the foot by committing 11 turnovers, which led to nine FGCU points. FGCU’s Mercurius came...
by Russell Vannozzi | Jan 25, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
The Florida Gulf Coast men’s basketball team has undergone significant personnel changes since dropping a 108-96 contest to Lipscomb in the ASUN title game last March. But the result was the same Thursday night. Lipscomb (15-4, 6-0 ASUN) used 13 three-pointers to pull away from the Eagles for an 89-81 victory at Allen Arena. “It was nice to find a way [to win],” Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander said. “I give FGCU a lot of credit – they played tough. But we had some experienced guys make some experienced plays, and that turned out to be the difference.” Senior guard Garrison Mathews went for 31 points, and he hit six of Lipscomb’s 13 threes. Matt Rose added a trio of three-pointers, while Nathan Moran and Michael Buckland each had two apiece. Mathews’ outing was his best since scoring 29 points at Middle Tennessee on Dec. 1. “[Garrison] wanted the ball and he delivered,” Alexander said. “He got to the line, he made tough twos, he made big threes. It was a complete game for him.” Mathews and Moran hit back-to-back threes with just 1:23 remaining to take an 81-73 lead and prevent any hope of an FGCU comeback. “All of us were knocking down shots tonight,” Mathews said. “Nate hit that big-time three at the end that really kind of sealed the deal. I was just fortunate to knock some down.” The offseason was not kind to the Eagles (7-14, 2-4 ASUN). Coach Joe Dooley left for East Carolina, reigning ASUN Player of the Year Brandon Goodwin graduated and went to the NBA and Zach Johnson transferred to Miami, leaving...
by Russell Vannozzi | Oct 28, 2018 | News Slider, Sports
For the last three years, the Lipscomb women’s soccer team advanced to the ASUN title game, only to lose to Florida Gulf Coast on each occasion. FGCU defeated Lipscomb 3-2 in double overtime in last year’s ASUN title match, following a 5-0 victory in 2015 and a 2-0 win in 2016. The stakes were similar in Sunday afternoon’s ASUN semifinal in Nashville, but history did not repeat itself. Lipscomb used a second-half goal from freshman defender Logan McFadden to top the Eagles 1-0 and finally get over the FGCU hump. “The proverbial monkey is off our back,” Lipscomb coach Kevin O’Brien said. “They’ve ended our season for three years running. To be able to end theirs feels better than walking home with our heads hanging low.” The Bisons (13-4-2) will host North Alabama for the ASUN championship next Saturday, November 9. However, Lipscomb has already clinched its first-ever bid to the NCAA tournament because North Alabama is not eligible for the postseason in its first year as an NCAA Division I school. FGCU (13-4-3) dominated much of the first half and had most of the game’s scoring chances. McFadden and the Lipscomb back line of Justis Bailey, Dominique Diller and Audrey Ann Beck held strong as the Eagles fired 13 total shots and seven on target. But the game-defining moment came in the 70th minute after Maycie McKay won the ball off an FGCU corner kick. McKay then slid a pass to McFadden, who raced upfield and caught FGCU goalie Melissa Weck out of the net. Defensive Player of the Year Logan McFadden takes matters into her own hands and...
by Charlie Bateman | May 18, 2015 | News Slider, Sports
After a season-ending sweep of Northern Kentucky last weekend, Lipscomb’s baseball team is primed for taking on the 2015 Atlantic Sun Conference Baseball Championship. The Bisons are in Fort Myers, Florida, where they will take on No. 5 seeded Florida Gulf Coast. This sweep of the Norse last weekend at Northern Kentucky’s Bill Aker Complex boosted team spirits heading into the A-Sun, according to Lipscomb coach Jeff Forehand. “After a tough weekend against Stetson last week and then another one on Tuesday, it is good to see us get back on track with these three wins,” Forehand said. Lipscomb grabbed the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament after Stetson lost to tournament hosts FGCU in the final weekend of the regular season. The Bisons have won a record-breaking 35 games in the regular season. Going back to the NAIA days, no Lipscomb team has matched that victory total. Forehand said he has hopes for the Bisons to slug it out for their second A-Sun tournament championship. He also said that in so doing, the team could make the NCAA tournament for only the second time in school history (the last being in 2008). The coach said the Bisons’ bats and pitching arms were kept plenty busy — and looked plenty good — in completing that sweep last Saturday. “It is fun to watch us when we are attacking with all facets of our offense and the pitching staff is throwing as well as they are,” Forehand said after the 7-1 victory. The Bisons will now open the tournament at 6 p.m. Wednesday night at Swanson Stadium. It’s a tough task...
