by Russell Vannozzi | Nov 7, 2018 | News Slider, Sports
The last time the Lipscomb men’s basketball team took the court, it was for the school’s NCAA tournament debut against powerhouse North Carolina. Center Ahsan Asadullah was forced to watch that game on the bench while rehabbing an ACL injury. But on Tuesday night, the 6-foot-9 big man made his presence felt by leading the Bisons with 26 points in a 97-53 drubbing of Division-III Sewanee at Allen Arena. The Tigers more closely resembled a strong high school squad than a college team and were simply outmatched from the beginning, despite Lipscomb not being at its best. “It definitely helped,” Asadullah said of playing a weaker opponent. “We got to run some of our sets and stuff instead of [just] practicing against each other. [But we] knew it wasn’t going to be easy even though [they] were a D-III school.” Asadullah admirably filled in for Rob Marberry, who missed the game due to a hand injury. It’s unclear when the senior forward will be back in action, which could pose a problem in next Thursday’s Battle of the Boulevard against rival Belmont. “He’ll probably be back soon – he’s been practicing,” Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander said of Marberry. “We know we need him for us to be as good as we can be.” Asadullah missed the entirety of the 2017-18 season after tearing his ACL last fall, and he said he felt some nerves during warmups. But you wouldn’t have known that by watching his nearly-flawless performance. “A couple of us were a little nervous,” Asadullah said. “I know I was a little nervous. My first shot got blocked,...
by Russell Vannozzi | Nov 6, 2018 | News Slider, Sports
The wait is finally over for college basketball fans. The Lipscomb men’s basketball team begins its quest for a second consecutive ASUN championship on Tuesday when Sewanee pays a visit to Nashville. Lipscomb is loaded with experience, but that means expectations are high. The ASUN tabbed the Bisons as the preseason favorite to win the league, and numerous media outlets also have projected Lipscomb to return to the NCAA tournament. “Regardless of how last season went, which everyone still wants to talk about, we’d still be ready to play and excited about what’s ahead,” Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander said. “It’s a fun group and a group that has a lot of potential.” Here are five storylines to watch as Lipscomb begins its season: Can the Bisons recreate last season’s magic? Championship seasons usually require the stars to align, and that’s exactly what happened for Lipscomb last year. The Bisons swept Belmont for the first time since the 2009-10 season, finished atop the ASUN with a 10-4 conference record and knocked off Florida Gulf Coast on the road to take the league title in front of a national TV audience. With each of its top six scorers returning, it’s reasonable to assume that Lipscomb’s offense could be improved in 2018-19. Couple that with the attrition that other ASUN teams have experienced during the offseason and it’s easy to see why the Bisons have been tabbed as the favorite. “We’ve got a new team with a new schedule and a new season,” Alexander said. “Our only goal is for this year’s team to be as good as this year’s team can...
by Russell Vannozzi | Nov 5, 2018 | News Slider, Sports
It’s been nearly 20 months since Nathan Moran has appeared in a basketball game for the Lipscomb Bisons. The team won its first-ever ASUN tournament title and made its first NCAA tournament appearance while Moran rode the bench as a redshirt last season. But that certainly wasn’t by choice. The former walk-on has dealt with injuries throughout his career, and he discovered after his junior season that he had torn labrums in both hips. To make matters worse, Moran’s right hip also required microfracture surgery. “The cartridge had peeled off, so they had to drill holes in my bone,” Moran said of his right hip. “That was a super long recovery and it was very painful. When I thought I was getting back, I wasn’t [healthy], which was stressful.” After a lengthy recovery, the sharpshooter is finally ready to get back on the court. He is expected to play in Lipscomb’s opener against Sewanee on Tuesday. “I’m close to 100 percent,” he said. “I’ve had some good weeks and some bad weeks. I’m feeling good right now at the right time.” Moran’s ball-handling and shooting were sorely missed last season, according to Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander. “I think we were lucky to survive without him because he means that much to our team,” Alexander said. “In that sense, it’s great to have him back.” Moran returned to practice in January, but his lack of lateral mobility at the time made a midseason return impossible. He then took a redshirt season to salvage his final year of eligibility. “We thought that if I didn’t have microfracture [surgery] on my right...
by Cole Gray | Jan 11, 2018 | BREAKING NEWS, Sports
Bisons point guard Nathan Moran, who has not played in a game this year, plans to redshirt the season to focus on “trying to get my full speed and strength back,” he told Lumination Network in a text message. Coach Casey Alexander said Moran was healthy enough to return, but wouldn’t play “unless something changes” in his recovery or team circumstances. “It’s been slower than normal,” Alexander said. “It’s all health-related.” In college athletics, a player choosing to redshirt saves a year of eligibility, but forfeits the additional year of eligibility if they enter a game during the redshirt season. Moran started every game of the 2016-17 season,, averaged 11.1 points per game and was second in the A-SUN with 4.2 assists per game last year. The team’s leading shooter, he made 90 three-pointers at a 41.7% clip. He finished the year with a torn labrum in each hip and underwent surgeries in April and June. The senior said he made the decision to redshirt the season after Lipscomb swept crosstown rival Belmont in December. He returned to practice on Jan. 5. Feeling super thankful and lucky to be able to practice this week for the first time in over 9 months! GOD IS SOOOOO GOOD!!! — Nathan Moran (@nate5_moran) January 10, 2018 The 11-5 Bisons play their second conference game on the road at North Florida (6-12) tonight at 6:00 PM. Lipscomb is 5-5 on the road and opened the A-SUN slate with a win at Kennesaw State Saturday. The Ospreys, led by sophomore guard Ivan Gandia-Rosa, are 5-1 at home. The last time Lipscomb played North Florida, junior guard...
by Brianne Welch | Jan 13, 2015 | Sports
One missed free throw with less than a minute left to play could have changed the outcome, but when freshman Nathan Moran sank his second foul shot, the Bisons defense was able to hold off the Spartans until the final buzzer. Moran did not lead the Bisons in any category Tuesday night, but his presence on the court was felt in the final minutes of play. The freshman played 29 minutes of the game against USC Upstate, but had just seven points. In a game that saw 12 lead changes, it was Moran who scored one free throw to give the Bisons a two-point cushion with less than a minute to play. Moran missed his first shot, leaving the crowd deflated, but picked everyone back up as he sank the second shot. “It just felt like another free throw,” Moran said. “I mean, missing it didn’t feel like another free throw, but it was another free throw.” After the second shot, the Bisons played defense that drew no fouls in the final seconds, which gave the Spartans no free opportunities in the end. At half time the score was tied, 32 all, but the Spartans took an early lead and held it through the majority of the second half. Senior Malcolm Smith drew a foul on a layup that went in to put the Bisons back in the lead, 52-51. Smith drew several hard fouls in the second half of the game by being aggressive against a tough Spartan defense. Junior Talbott Denny also played aggressively in the second half. Moran talked about how much he has benefitted from playing with these older teammates. “It’s...
