Bruins defeat Bisons in thrilling ‘Battle’

For the second time in only a week the Lipscomb Bisons have fallen to their Battle of the Boulevard rival Belmont Bruins, this time by a score of 82-77. The 136th edition of the ‘Battle’ had a familiar feeling as the Bruins came out with a victory for the seventh iteration in a row, albeit by a much closer margin than this season’s first matchup. “I’m proud of our players,” Lipscomb head coach Casey Alexander said.” “[They showed] a lot of persistence, and real great effort to battle back like that.” Seniors Malcolm and Martin Smith kept the Bisons in the game in the final moments. Both finished with 21 points on the night. Malcolm Smith tied Talbott Denny for a team leading 6 rebounds and notched 3 assists as well. “They’re [Martin and Malcolm Smith] seniors and they’re both thousand-point scorers.” Alexander said, “That’s what they’ve proven they can do. They have to keep doing it.” Clutch free throws from junior Craig Bradshaw down the stretch helped secure the victory for the Bruins. Bradshaw scored 29 points in the game, a new career high, and went 5-7 from downtown. He also collected 5 rebounds and 4 assists. “He was their best player down the stretch last year,” Alexander said about Bradshaw, “He’s had some unbelievable games, and he killed us when he had to kill us.” A back-breaking three-pointer from junior Jeff Laidig started the Bruins on a devastating 14-0 run in the waning moments of the first half. Laidig’s basket, which came directly after Lipscomb’s Malcolm Smith had tied the game at 27, crippled any momentum the...

Bisons fall to Bruins in season’s first Battle of the Boulevard

In the 135th iteration of the Battle of the Boulevard, the Bisons lost to their same-street rival Belmont for the sixth consecutive time 87-62. Sophomore Josh Williams was one of the few bright spots for the Bisons. He scored 13 points and grabbed four rebounds. The Bruins started off the game scorching with a pair of quick baskets from Junior Craig Bradshaw and Senior Reece Chamberlain in front of the raucous Lipscomb crowd. The baskets helped spark a 19-5 to begin the game for Belmont. By the halfway point of the first half, the Bisons cut the lead down to single digits, 24-16 thanks to the trio of senior Martin Smith, sophomore J.C. Hampton and Williams. In what was a game of streaks, the Bruins responded with another hot streak of their own. Belmont held a commanding 40-26 lead with less than three minutes left to play before halftime. “When we go on a run, it just takes one simple thing like a missed rotation or a breakdown just to stop the run,” Smith said, “We just got to get the little things right.” Smith scored surpassed 1,000 points for his career on the night, joining his brother Malcolm who surpassed the milestone in the 2014 Atlantic Sun Tournament. “It feels pretty good, wish we could’ve got the win though.” Smith said. Had it not been for a pair of three point plays, one traditional and one the hard way, from Williams and another three from freshman Nate Moran in the final moments of the half, the halftime deficit may have been insurmountable. The Bisons, however, only trailed by...

The Postgame – Feb. 27: Your week in Nashville sports

The Lady Bisons softball team are off to a quick start, track and field finishes strong in the A-Sun championships, a top ranked team makes a stop in Music city and teams prepare for conference championships on the hardwood in this week’s Nashville sports.Lipscomb Softball: The Lady Bisons are off to a strong start in their season. They’ve posted a 12-2 record while defeating teams like Virginia Tech and Baylor. They’ve received votes in ESPN.com/USA’s Top 25 poll and are quickly on their way to a successful season. The team will play Belmont away today at 3:45 p.m. Lipscomb Track and Field: Dani Walker continued her success into the A-Sun indoor conference championships, winning three events and claiming the A-Sun Championship Most Valuable Player award. Madi Talbert finished second behind Walker in the 3000 meter, helping the women’s team score fifth place.Tucker Peabody repeated as 200 meter dash champion as the men’s team finished in third place. The outdoor track and field season will start on March 15 at Rhodes Opens in Memphis, Tenn. Belmont Men’s Basketball: The Bruins are on a five game winning streak after defeating SIU Edwardsville on the road Wednesday night. Senior J.J. Mann along with junior Reece Chamberlain and sophomore Craig Bradshaw have led Belmont to a 22-8 record and first place in the OVC standings this season. Their final game of the regular season is at Jacksonville State on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball: It’s a lot of pressure to take on the number one team in the nation, but historically Vanderbilt has stood up to the challenge. However, in Tuesday night’s match up against Florida, it just wasn’t in the...
Bisons unable to top Belmont in second ‘Battle’ of Alexander era

Bisons unable to top Belmont in second ‘Battle’ of Alexander era

By Logan Butts and Aaron Schmelzer  In round two of the 2013 Battle of the Boulevard, the Belmont Bruins topped the visiting Bisons, winning 94-64. The game started with an 8-0 run by Belmont, and Talbott Denny scored the first points for the Bisons with a three. With 14:37 left in the first half, the lead was in favor of the Bruins, 15-6. By halftime, their lead had increased to 47-26. A steal and breakaway layup from the Bruins’ J.J. Mann gave Belmont the momentum heading into the the half. Malcolm Smith opened the second half with six consecutive points for the Bisons. However, any momentum gained from Smith’s run was erased with a two-handed slam from the Bruins’ Craig Bradshaw to make the score 58-34. Belmont would later seal its second ‘Battle’ win of the season. “They were a significantly better team than they were the first time that we played,” Lipscomb head coach Casey Alexander said. The down-the-street rivals last played Nov. 8, a game that Belmont won, 87-83. “Belmont’s such a rhythm team, and when things are going their way, they’re literally about as good as anybody,” Alexander said. The loss for the Bisons dropped their record to 2-3 on the season. Malcolm Smith stepped up for the Bisons, nearly posting a double-double with 14 points and eight rebounds. J.C. Hampton paced the Bisons, scoring the most points on the night with 16. “J.C.’s a good player, and he’s going to be a good player,” Alexander said of the redshirt freshman point guard. Evan Bradds was the leading scorer and rebounder for Belmont with 19 and...