by Hunter Patterson | Jul 20, 2010 | Sports
During the spring and summer months Lipscomb Lady Bisons basketball players are out of the sight of the coaches for the most part, but they are seldom out of their thoughts. Lady Bisons coach Frank Bennett will return a team that features three seniors, guards Jenna Bartsokas and Miaca Bowman and wing Valerie Bronson. A trio of juniors, guard Anna Bowers, wing Leah McAlister and post player Brittany Duerk, also bring experience. A quartet of sophomores, post players Chelsea McMeans and Kaitie Fritts, and wings Hannah Phillips and Morgan Faulkner, return after seeing a large amount of playing time as freshmen. Newcomers to the team are guard Haley Nelson, post-wing O’Neisha Smith and post player Jess Reece. Bennett is expecting Bartsokas to finish with her strong season ever as a Lady Bisons. Bennett isn’t sure if Bartsokas will play the point or the No. 2 spot. Nelson has shown a knack for being able to find players open everywhere on the court due to her excellent vision. Nelson could get playing time at the point. Bowers and Bowman also will be on the court as well. “We will see how the other girls develop and compete,” Bennett said. “I think that Jenna played a lot of last season at an All-Conference level. With our record not being that good she didn’t get the recognition. In the last five games she played at a very, very high level averaging 17 to 18 points during that stretch. “She is by far the hardest worker we’ve got. She is very self-motivated. She really spends a lot of time working out, shooting and...
by Hunter Patterson | May 21, 2010 | Uncategorized
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. _ No matter how much the Lipscomb Lady Bisons tried to act like it was just another game there were more than enough jitters to go around before the facing UAB in the first round of the NCAA Regional at the Alabama Softball Complex. It was the first NCAA Regional appearance for both Lipscomb and UAB. Lady Bisons coach Kristin Ryman had stressed the need to take control of the game early in an effort to chase away the nerves. The Lady Bisons had split a doubleheader with UAB April 20, winning 1-0 and losing 7-5. They scored one run in the first, two in the second and added another in the fifth on the way to a 4-1 win over UAB from Conference-USA.. “I couldn’t be more proud of the way we came out and jumped on them early,” Ryman said. “Any time we score first it takes the pressure off. It definitely takes the pressure off our pitcher, Whitney Kiihnl. “There are always some nerves that are present when you’re playing in your first Regional. We were familiar with UAB already which was a good thing going in. I’m just glad we walked away with a win in our first game.” The Lady Bisons will face Alabama, the regional host and No. 1 seed, Saturday at 1:30. The Crimson Tide is 49-9 and advanced by beating Alcorn State Friday night 9-0 in a game called in the fifth inning due to the eight-run lead rule. Alcorn State, from the Southwestern Athletic Conference, finished its season with a 24-25 record. Kiihnl, a sophomore, struck out 11...
by Hunter Patterson | May 18, 2010 | Sports
On Sunday night the Lady Bisons found out where their journey to a National Championship would begin—Tuscaloosa, Ala. The Lady Bisons clinched a berth in the NCAA tournament after winning the Atlantic Sun Tournament earlier that weekend, defeating USC Upstate 11-0. The team was also the A-Sun regular season champions. Lipscomb was on the winning side of the scoreboard a remarkable 48 times this season. At the end of the regular season their final record stood at 48-11 overall and 18-2 in the Atlantic Sun. While the team dominated the Atlantic Sun, the voters for postseason awards took notice. Six players were all conference, and head coach Kristin Ryman was named coach of the year. The Lady Bisons were lead on the mound this year by sophomore Whitney Kiihnl. Kiihnl went 31-3 on the season, posting an ERA of 0.74. That ERA was good enough for the best in the nation. In 41 appearances (213 innings), Kiihnl only gave up 22 earned runs. Kiihnl also ranks 14th in strikeouts per seven innings with 10.5. The Lady Bisons were also a force from the plate. Kellie Sirus finished the season ranked 17th in home runs with 17. As a team, Lipscomb finished the season ranked twelfth in the nation in batting average and 27th in slugging percentage. With those types of numbers, Lipscomb has caused a stir in the NCAA Softball polls. Lipscomb cracked the top 25 in a few polls this season, getting the national recognition that the team deserves. After Selection Sunday Lipscomb found themselves in the the very top group along with number one ranked Alabama, Alcorn...
by Hunter Patterson | Apr 21, 2010 | Sports
Lady Bison coach Frank Bennett and his staff signed three new players last week, forward O’Neisha Smith, center Jessica Reece and guard Haley Nelson. Smith, a 5’11 forward out of Georgia is described as a defensive player who can finish underneath the basket and grab rebounds. She is from the same high school as Lipscomb men’s basketball player Brandon Barnes. In high school Smith was the captain of her team, and was twice selected to the All-Region team. Smith has also competed in the high jump in high school, reaching 5-foot-6 in 2009. She plans to also compete on the track team for the Lady Bisons. “O’Neisha is a very good athlete,” Bennett said. “She was state runner up the last two years in the high jump, and hopes to jump 5-8 or more this year.” “She is developing her skills as a player,” Bennett said of her basketball skills. “She is a left-hander, more of a rebounder or a slasher, or someone that can finish and gets fouled a lot. She adds a lot of quickness and jumping ability that will help us. “In her high school career the team progressed each year, eventually reaching the state tournament in 5A,” Bennett said. “Her team had a lot of firsts during her career. “With her athletic ability we feel that she has a chance to make a lot of improvement when it comes to working on her shooting technique and little things to help her with her game. I feel that she is the type that is very coachable and will develop quickly.” Jessica Reece, a 6-3 center from Fletcher, N.C., was...
by Ashlan Williams | Apr 7, 2010 | Sports
Returning home after a streak of away games, the Lady Bisons faced off against Tennessee State University on Wednesday, April 7 at Lipscomb’s Draper Diamond. Overpowering TSU in both games with scores of 11-2 and 3-0, the double victory advances the Lady Bison’s overall record to 31-7. Game 1: The Lady Bisons opened game one with a dominant first inning. Sophomore all-star pitcher, Whitney Kiihnl, put the pressure on TSU early, backing up her title as No. 1 ranked pitcher in the NCAA in hits allowed per seven innings (2.04). When the Lady Bisons got up to bat, they put a string of hits together, earning over half of their total runs in the first inning alone. Senior Abby Keese sent her first of two home runs for the night sailing into the parking lot, bringing in junior Mackenzie Tucker, who got on base with a double, to put the Lady Bisons on the board 2-0. Keese leads the Atlantic Sun conference in batting with an average of .400. Sophomore Courtney Billington followed up Keese’s home run with a single. Shortly after Billington’s single, senior Christen Campbell smashed another home run for the Lady Bisons, bringing in Billington and upping Lipscomb’s lead to 4-0. However, with only two outs,the Lady Bisons were not finished yet. After being walked by TSU’s pitcher, Sophomore Mollie Mitchell stole home to add another run to the Lady Bisons lead. Freshman Breanna Thurman also scored on an RBI by Kiihnl. The Lady Bisons entered the second inning with a 6-0 lead over TSU. The score remained the same during the second inning and into...
