by Brianne Welch | Nov 5, 2014 | Sports
The Lady Bisons soccer team just completed a record-breaking regular season, and look to take the season even further this weekend. The team finished regular season play Friday Oct. 24 against Northern Kentucky. The game ended in a 2-0 loss, but the team finished with a 10-6-2 overall record, and the no. 2 spot going into the conference tournament. This 2014 season is the first season the Lipscomb women’s team has had a winning record. The Lady Bisons have also only made it into the tournament one other year, and that was last year. A change in coaching staff back in the spring of 2012 is a huge part of the program’s turnaround. Junior Emily Shuler was recruited to Lipscomb before the coaching change, and said she would have looked elsewhere had she been aware of the programs record, but she is thrilled with the change. “When I looked at Lipscomb’s website for them to come watch [me play], I remember their record was like, two wins, maybe. I was like, what am I doing, like why did I ask them to come, and it ended up being awesome,” Shuler said. “Now we’re at a place where we’ve got five times that for wins if not more.” Senior Karli Crosby played on the team before head coach Kevin O’Brien was hired, and she has seen first hand how much of a difference he has made. “We’ve gotten better every single year ever since OB (O’Brien) got here. He came in the spring of my freshman year. The fall before he got here we finished tenth in the conference and...
by Logan Butts | May 20, 2014 | Sports
The Lipscomb baseball team ended their season with a three-game home stand against the first place team in the Atlantic Sun, Florida Gulf Coast. With the number one seed in the Atlantic Sun Tournament in sight, the Bisons won their first game against Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday 11-6, keeping their hopes alive for one more day. Junior center fielder Jonathan Allison led Lipscomb with three hits in the game. Junior left fielder Josh Lee was one of many Bisons with two hits during the explosive offensive outing. Due to expected inclement weather on Saturday, the Bisons and Eagles played a doubleheader on Friday. Needing to win twice to have a shot at first place in the conference, Lipscomb split the games, dropping the first game 3-2 and winning the second match-up 7-1 to take the series. Junior shortstop Grant Massey led the Bisons in the first outing by batting 2 for 4, while junior designated hitter Griffin Moore paced Lipscomb by going 3 for 4 and belting a home run in the second game. The two victories helped to solidify the Bisons’ fourth place finish for the season in the Atlantic Sun, a position which matches them up against fifth place Jacksonville (13-13 conference record, 20-31 overall record) in the opening game of the A-Sun Tournament. Lipscomb defeated Jacksonville at Dugan Field in two out of the three games that they played in March. Lipscomb heads into the tournament with a 17-10 conference record and a 30-26 overall record, both big improvements on the 2012-13 season. Photo courtesy of Lipscomb...
by Aaron Schmelzer | Feb 28, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
Allen Arena hosted another exciting game on Thursday night as the Bisons’ basketball team topped Florida Gulf Coast University 92-71 with the help of sharp 3-point shooting. From the tip-off, the Eagles of FGCU scored two points to lead 2-0, but the Bisons answered, scoring six straight three-pointers. From there, Lipscomb never looked back, leading by 20 at the half. Bisons head coach Casey Alexander said that the shooting helped lead the team to victory. “We shot the ball great the whole night, and making our first six was a huge lift for us…confidence wise, and we held the lead from there,” Alexander said. In the second half, the Bisons cooled off, but they stayed consistent and continued to be aggressive, take shots and most importantly, make the shots. In total, Lipscomb scored fifteen three’s, six from junior forward Martin Smith, one from senior guard/forward Khion Sankey, three from freshman guard Josh Williams and three from redshirt freshman guard J.C. Hampton. Martin Smith and Hampton tied for 21 points to lead the team. Junior forward Malcolm Smith and sophomore guard Talbott Denny also scored double digits with 20 points and 11, respectively. As good as the shooting was, Alexander said that the perimeter shooting was not necessarily part of the plan on Thursday. “We just took the shots that came to us,” Alexander said. “We didn’t come out here trying to shoot a lot of three’s; that wasn’t really part of the game plan.” FGCU responded to Lipscomb’s shooting, as junior guard Brett Comer lead the charge with 27 points. It was not enough, however. The Eagles, over the course of the game, turned...
by Travis Byrd | Nov 6, 2013 | News Slider, Sports
The end is near for the Lady Bisons Volleyball seniors. With the Atlantic Sun Tournament on the horizon, there is a sense of urgency in the air for this year’s seniors. Caitlin Dotson, Stephanie Rex, and Claire Peterson have played together the last four years, and they all know this is their last chance to leave their mark on this program. “There is a bit of added pressure knowing this is my last go around, and it is the last chance I have,” Dotson said. “I think, more than anything, that I love this team, and I love this group of girls, and I want the most for all of them, as well as ending my career on a positive note, as well as setting a standard for this program.” Dotson has been a staple player for the Lady Bisons since her freshman year. She says that she’s seen a shift in the A-Sun over the past season. Despite the Lady Bisons’ recent success, Dotson says it’s important to treat each time the same. “Conference has really leveled out, and it has been fun to see some teams rise up, and every game is a fun game. That is something that I actually really enjoy. We are getting hot right now, and the biggest thing is to stay hot and to not underestimate anybody and realize this is anybody’s game,” Dotson said. The Lady Bisons know that their ultimate goal is getting to the NCAA Tournament, but to reach that goal, these seniors know they must take care of business in their own conference. Stephanie Rex has made the...
by Kelsey Reiman | May 7, 2013 | News Slider, Sports
For the first time in Lipscomb’s history as an NCAA Division 1 school, the softball team will host the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament at Draper Diamond, beginning Wednesday, May 8. Of the team’s 19 players, only senior outfielder Bree Thurman has won a conference title. She’s hoping to finish off her career with one more. The young women have been running, lifting and scrimmaging for months to get prepared for a successful season and a drive for the tourney title. The team finished the regular season with a 32-22 overall record, also posting up a 18-8 record in conference play. “Conference tournament is what we have all been working for since the fall,” junior third baseman Rena’ Cothron said. “It’s going to be exciting, stressful and loud, with all of our friends and family at the games,” Cothron said. “I can’t wait to play for a championship title in front of all the people I love.” And there really is something to the old phrase: “home-field advantage.” “It will be nice to finally be the players who know our field the best; that will definitely be to our advantage,” junior catcher Haley Elliott said. “It will be nice too that we don’t have to worry about any kind of travel and we will be in our comfort zone,” Elliot said. Junior shortstop Bridgette Begle smiled, then added: “The conference title will be that much sweeter when we are champions on our own field.” Photo courtesy of Lipscomb...
