The Lipscomb women’s basketball team will no longer play their scheduled contest Wednesday at Cincinnati, according to a statement from Lipscomb Athletics Tuesday morning.
Instead, the Bisons will travel to Arizona to play the Pac-12’s Arizona State Sun Devils. That game will take place 3 pm Central time Thursday in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe.
For the third time this season, Lipscomb will travel to the western half of the country for an away game. The Bisons’ first two games came in Utah against BYU and Utah, respectively, and the Purple and Gold also played against the Colorado State Rams in November in Fort Collins, Colorado. The Bisons lost all three of those contests.
Lipscomb’s second Pac-12 matchup this year will take place at Weatherup Center, Arizona State’s practice facility, due to the short notice. Because of the space limitations at the facility, fans and most media members are not permitted to attend. This will be the Sun Devils’ second-straight game at Weatherup Center after lighting issues at their primary facility, Desert Financial Arena, forced a venue switch in their win over UC Irvine.
The Bisons are 5-7 on the year after a 4th-quarter comeback win last time out. Arizona State enters the game with a 7-5 record, having won 5 of their last 6 contests. The Sun Devils have a 5-1 record in home contests, while Lipscomb is just 1-5 away from home.
The Bisons and Sun Devils will square off for the first time in series history. Their only common opponent this season is BYU, who beat both teams at home in Provo, Utah.
Senior guard Jade Loville leads the home team with 15.1 points per game, one of three players who average double figures in scoring for Arizona State. Lipscomb is led by sophomore guard Blythe Pearson, who averages 9.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per contests for the Bisons on 50% 3-point shooting.
Prediction
Power 5 opponents have been a thorn in the side of the Bisons all year, and a strong Arizona State team will likely be no exception. Expect Lipscomb to bring the best version of themselves this season, coming off of a momentum-builder against Eastern Illinois and a much-needed break week, but it may not be enough for a victory. A tall, physical Sun Devils side will make it difficult for the Bisons inside, but their outside shooting will keep them competitive longer than most will expect. Final score: ASU 74 – 61 LIP
How to Follow
Due to media restrictions, there will be no live stream of the game and no live broadcast on The Bison, Lipscomb’s on-campus radio station. However, fans can listen live on KAZG 1440 AM in Phoenix or stream the station via TuneIn Radio.
As always, Lumination Network is your home for postgame recaps of Lipscomb athletics events. Check back Thursday evening for a postgame recap of the game and comments from the team.
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics