In front of a raucous crowd of Lipscomb and North Alabama fans, the Bisons defeated the Lions 76-65 at Allen Arena in Nashville.
“Lipscomb University won today,” Bisons head coach Lennie Acuff said. “That is as good of an environment as we have played in.”
The game opened with Jacksonville transfer Gyasi Powell, who struggled in the previous game against Queens, knocking down a 3-pointer to ignite the crowd.
ASUN Player of the Year Jacob Ognacevic followed with a 3-pointer of his own, helping the Bisons jump out to a 6-0 lead.
Lipscomb maintained control throughout the first half, leading 35-29 at halftime despite North Alabama grabbing 10 offensive rebounds.
The Lions stormed back in the second half, with big man Corneilous Williams attacking the Bisons’ defense and helping North Alabama take a 58-57 lead with 6:06 remaining.
As both crowds grew louder, senior guard Joe Anderson shifted into another gear.
The cerebral point guard and ASUN Tournament Most Outstanding Player hit two clutch 3-pointers. They knocked down free throws to seal Lipscomb’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018, when current Atlanta Hawks player and former Bisons star Garrison Mathews led the team to the Big Dance.
Now, Lipscomb will get some much-needed rest as they await their tournament placement, which will be revealed on Selection Sunday next week.
