by Hunter Patterson | Feb 29, 2012 | News Slider, Sports
Bison basketball players Damarius Smith and Marvin Williams have been suspended from the team and are not present at Wednesday’s Atlantic Sun tournament game versus Mercer. Lumination alluded to the possibility of this on Monday when the two were not at the team’s practice. As of Wednesday night at 7 p.m., Smith and Williams are no longer members of the Bison basketball team. In an official announcement from the athletic department, the two players have been “suspended” from the team permanently. “Damarius Smith and Marvin Williams have been suspended indefinitely and will not participate in postseason play. They are not traveling with the team,” the statement reported. On Monday, Lipscomb head coach Scott Sanderson said that it was mainly a “disciplinary issue” with Smith. Sanderson did not elaborate on Williams’ status at the time but said he had missed the last four games because he has been “banged up” with a knee injury. Saturday was not the first time Smith had been held out of playing. Earlier this season against Belmont, Smith dressed and warmed up with the team but did not enter the game. “It was just a discipline issue,” Sanderson said of Smith’s status in the Belmont game. “We handled it internally, and we moved forward.” “We’re just trying to learn and do what’s right,” he said. “Sometimes being young is difficult, and we are just trying to learn from day to day and do the right thing.” However, with the suspension of the players, it seems the team, as well as Smith and Williams, had reached their breaking point. This makes for eight players that have either...
by Hunter Patterson | Feb 27, 2012 | News Slider, Sports
Bison basketball players Damarius Smith and Marvin Williams were not present at Monday’s practice just two days before the opening round of the Atlantic Sun tournament. Smith, a redshirt freshman, and Williams, also a freshman, did not participate in Monday’s practice and are not expected to join the team in Macon, Ga., for the Atlantic Sun tournament. A source close to the team says “it will be a very interesting 24 hours for the Lipscomb basketball team.” Lipscomb head coach Scott Sanderson said that it was mainly a “disciplinary issue” with Smith. Sanderson did not elaborate on Williams’ status but said he has missed the last four games because he has been “banged up” with a knee injury. This is not the first time Smith has been held out of playing. Earlier this season against Belmont, Smith dressed and warmed up with the team but did not enter the game. “It was just a discipline issue,” Sanderson said of Smith’s status in the Belmont game. “We handled it internally, and we moved forward.” “We’re just trying to learn and do what’s right,” he said. “Sometimes being young is difficult, and we are just trying to learn from day to day and do the right thing.” Smith averaged 5.2 points per game this season. The most notable points came when he hit the game-winning three in overtime versus Stetson on Jan. 16. Williams had an up-and-down year dealing with injuries and maturing as a player, but just over two weeks ago the Memphis, native scored a season-high 16 points in a 99-91 win over Stetson on Feb. 11. Smith and...
by Hunter Patterson | Feb 11, 2012 | News Slider, Sports
NASHVILLE (Feb. 11, 2012) – The Bison bench may have been one man short on Saturday, but that did not stop the team from scoring 99 points in their overtime victory over Stetson. Lipscomb outscored the Hatters 25-17 in overtime to improve their conference record to 7-6. The Bison’s overall record is now 12-13. This was the first game since senior guard Jordan Burgason was suspended after he violated team rules. The team shot 3-of-15 from the 3-point line on Saturday. The 20 percent shooting performance is far worse than the Bison’s season-long percentage of 38.4 percent. Deonte Alexander, the team’s leading scorer versus Stetson (27), made two of the 3-pointers. The nine points that were accounted for from three is a season-low for the team. The second lowest total is 15 when the Bisons shot 5-24 from three against Austin Peay State and 5-13 versus North Florida. However, the team’s 99 points scored against Stetson is the second highest total recorded all season. The first was also against Stetson, a game the Bisons won 104-103. Both games were decided in overtime. Lipscomb continues its road trip Monday night against Florida Gulf Coast in Ft. Myers, Fla, at 6 p.m. central. The Lipscomb Sports Network presented by Jackson will carry the action on 102.5 The...
by Hunter Patterson | Feb 10, 2012 | News Slider, Sports
NASHVILLE (Feb. 10, 2012) – Senior guard Jordan Burgason has been dismissed from the men’s basketball team for violating team rules, Lipscomb Athletic Director Philip Hutcheson announced today. The violation has also led to his dismissal from the university. “I love Jordan and wish him nothing but the absolute best,” said Hutcheson. “But he broke university rules that he knew he was breaking. We had clearly advised him, and he was aware of the consequences of making a bad decision.” A 6-foot-3 guard from Ames, Iowa, Burgason owns Lipscomb’s NCAA-era record for three-pointers with 282. This season, Burgason averaged 16.4 points and made 71 of 135 three-point shots for a 52.6 percent shooting average, making him third in the nation in this category. He led the Bison in three-point shooting, having made nine three-pointers in games against Iowa State and ETSU this season. Burgason finished with 1,132 career points and ranked No. 35 on Lipscomb’s all-time scoring list. Burgason was named the preseason No. 24 shooter in the nation by CBSSports.com. “I want to thank Lipscomb for the unbelievable opportunity that it has given me,” said Burgason. “The whole university has showed so much grace to me. But despite that, my actions have not shown a respect for the university and its policies, and for that I am sorry. I’ll never forget the memories that I’ve made here. Thank you for the love and support that everyone has shown throughout my time here. You will always be family to me.” Burgason was suspended earlier in the season for conduct violations and missed the first two weeks of the regular season schedule. When Burgason rejoined...
