Late surge lifts Bisons over Lions in exhibition meeting

The Casey Alexander era of men’s basketball offered a sampling of what’s to come in Allen Area Thursday night as the Bisons posted up a 95-83 exhibition win over the visiting Freed-Hardeman Lions. The Bisons and Lions’ pre-season match-up truly defined the phrase “back-and-forth,” as most of the game was a power struggle to see who could hold on to their low-margin lead. For most of the first half, Freed Hardeman had a small leg up on the Bisons, but Lipscomb managed to use the final minutes effectively to enter halftime with a 50-45 lead over the Lions. The second half quickly began to mirror the first, and it wasn’t until junior Martin Smith got hot from the arch (sinking four 3-pointers) that the Bisons truly began to run away with the game. Martin Smith led the Bisons in scoring with 23, while redshirt freshman J.C. Hampton had 20. Sophomore J.J. Butler led the team in assists with 7, while junior Malcom Smith topped rebounds with 7. He also had 14 points on the night. Hampton expressed his enthusiasm in the team returning to the court for the season. “It just felt good being back out with the team, playing hard,” Hampton said. He credited the team’s defensive play for helping lift the team in the second half. Next week presents a new challenge for the Bisons as the annual Battle of the Boulevard makes it way to Lipscomb’s campus to open the regular season on Friday, Nov. 8. Hampton says that the team will need to continue to focus on defense as the Bruins await. Check below for...

Lipscomb introduces Casey Alexander as new men’s basketball coach

Lipscomb formally introduced Casey Alexander to the community as the new coach of the men’s basketball team Sunday afternoon at the Ezell Center. The university officially confirmed Alexander’s hire Saturday evening. Alexander was a former Belmont Bruin player and coach who has spent the past two seasons coaching at Stetson. Lipscomb Athletic Director Philip Hutcheson kicked off the event, talking about the process of hiring a coach. Hutcheson said that when looking for a coach, “what we care about here is excellence, and what we care about are people who are connected and committed to what the mission of Lipscomb is about.” The selection committee, consisting of Hutcheson, Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Student Life Scott McDowell and women’s basketball coach Greg Brown, interviewed a number of candidates who were interested in the vacant position. Former coach Scott Sanderson resigned in April. Hutcheson praised the quality of the candidate that applied for the job, but said that the committee decided that Alexander was the best for the program. “There was one guy whose name rose to the top, and he contacted me very early on about the job and said he was interested,” Hutcheson said. Hutcheson said he had conversations with people close to both Lipscomb and Alexander who reassured him of what a good coach and person Alexander was. In an early conversation with Alexander, Hutcheson said he was impressed with the candidate’s vision for the school after being asked why he was interested in the coaching position. “[Alexander] said ‘I want to be at a place that still values the Christian mission that Lipscomb...

Bisons pummel Norse in commanding victory

The men’s basketball team (now 9-14) ended a three-game losing streak with a soaring 76-58 win over the Northern Kentucky Norse (8-12) Friday night in Allen Arena. The team net their fourth conference win of the season. For most of the first half, it was all Lipscomb. Senior Deonte Alexander put the Bisons up 5-0 in the first two minutes of the game and continued to be a major factor throughout. The Bisons maintained a solid lead during the first, heading into halftime up by nine. After the break in action, the Bisons refused to let up. Leading by double-digits for most of the game’s second half, Lipscomb emerged victorious through strong offensive and defensive performances. Alexander led in scoring with 22, while sophomores Martin and Malcolm Smith both had 11. Freshman Stephen Hurt had nine points and a team-leading 10 rebounds. Junior Khion Sankey said he believes that the Bisons breaking the Norse’s four-game win streak was a large indicator of the team’s hard work invested during practice and recent games. Despite the big win, Sankey said that there is still work to be done, as the team hosts A-Sun rival Stetson on Thursday, Feb. 14. “We just took it to [the Norse] today,” Sankey said. “We can be happy today, but we can’t be too happy. It was only one game. So, we’ve got to keep going forward – keep practicing...

Bisons lose close battle against Bears

After Thursday night’s nail-biter against Kennesaw State, the men’s basketball team served up another to-the-buzzer contest, but this time, last-minute heroics couldn’t save the day. The Bisons (now 8-12) put up quite a fight against Mercer, but unfortunately, the visiting Bears (13-9) claimed victory by game’s end. After a quick start (Mercer opened with a three in the first 10 seconds), the Bisons gained an early lead on the Bears, but as time progressed, the game became an level playing field, with a three-pointer courtesy of senior Deonte Alexander sending both teams to a 23-23 ballgame at the half. In the second, the Bears became the dominant team on the court, looking at a 61-46 lead over the Bisons with 7:27 remaining. Despite the looming margin, the Bisons weren’t about to let this one go. In the six-or-so minutes to follow, key Bison shots were made, key Bear shots were missed and Lipscomb rallied back to a 7-point margin with just about a minute left in play. A crucial 4-point play by Alexander shrunk the Bear’s lead to three with 41 seconds left, but despite the Bisons’ strong showing in the game’s final minutes, Mercer escaped with the win. Alexander had a strong night, leading the Bisons in scoring with 20. Junior Khion Sankey led the team in rebounding with 12, and sophomore Malcom Smith added in 16 points. Alexander said that he’s always looking to the next play in a close game’s final minutes, also concentrating on his defensive role. “I’m just trying my best to not let my man score,” Alexander said. Alexander said he feels that good focus on the scouting reports...

Bisons edge out Owls in OT thriller

Sometimes, those five extra minutes of game play can go a mile and a half. For the men’s basketball team, five minutes of free basketball led to 18 points and a 79-72  win, once tied at 61 with the Kennesaw State Owls (2-18) at the end of regulation. The now 8-11 Bisons held the Owls to a manageable margin for most of the first half. Both teams went scoreless until junior Khion Sankey put up a big three to open the game at 17:54.  After a few back-and-forth lead swaps, the Bisons finally gained a nine-point lead with five remaining before halftime. The Owls clawed back ever so slightly, but a resounding dunk by freshman Stephen Hurt to send the Bisons to a six-point lead before the break. The second half, however, was a different story. Kennesaw State came out swinging, cutting the margin to around one or two in the first few minutes. The Bisons and Owls fought for the lead in much of the second half. Four key free throw shots by sophomore Malcom Smith in the last few minutes of play helped send the game into overtime. In OT, the Bisons never let the Owls regain the lead, hitting important shots and using the clock in their favor. By the time the final buzzer echoed through Allen Arena, the Bisons emerged victorious. Malcom Smith had a big night for the Bisons with a double-double (21 points, 12 rebounds), while redshirt sophomore Carter Sanderson had a career night with 15 points (9 of those from beyond the arch). Hurt also had a double-double with 12 points and 10...