Bisons defeat Belmont 88-75 in historic 153rd Battle of the Boulevard

Lipscomb broke its losing streak against Belmont and took the overall series lead (77-76) on Tuesday night at Allen Arena, delivering an electric 88-75 victory in the 153rd edition of the Battle of the Boulevard.

With the statement victory, the Bisons secured their first win over the Bruins since 2022, took a 77-76 lead in the historic all-time series, and sent the “Lippy Lunatics” student section and home fans storming the court as the final buzzer sounded.

The Bisons seized momentum right from the opening tip, establishing an aggressive tone on both ends of the floor. Graduate guard Takai Simpkins put Lipscomb on the board first with a layup, and after an early back-and-forth exchange, the Bisons began to pull away behind sharp perimeter shooting and relentless interior play.

Sophomore forward Kennedy Okpara provided a major spark off the bench in the first half, breaking a 12-12 tie with a critical basket before burying a 3-pointer to push the lead to 18-14. Redshirt senior guard Mateo Esmeraldo followed with a triple of his own to cap a crucial run, forcing Belmont into multiple timeouts as the Lipscomb crowd ratcheted up the defensive pressure.

Having experienced the Battle of the Boulevard from multiple perspectives over the years, Esmeraldo reflected on what playing in front of the home crowd meant to him.

“I’ve been here to this game as a fan two years ago when I was at Trevecca,” Esmeraldo said. “I played in the game last year at Belmont, and I played today. To just see how much of an impact it has on the community is really important. I was so grateful just coming into this game to have the opportunity to go on the floor in front of our fans and play in Allen in such a big game, to see our fans all show out like that.”

Freshman guard Hugo Tidare added a deep 3-pointer just before the break, sending the Bisons into the locker room with a comfortable 40-32 advantage. Redshirt freshman forward Devyn Martin led all scorers in the opening 20 minutes with 10 points.

Belmont came out swinging in the second half, leaning heavily on sophomore guard Jack Smiley, who led a relentless perimeter attack to chip away at the deficit. The Bruins clawed back to narrow the margin, cutting Lipscomb’s lead down to single digits multiple times midway through the period.

However, every time Belmont threatened to pull closer, the Bisons answered with timely execution and crucial defensive tweaks. Head Coach Kevin Carroll credited defensive coordinator Jack McMahon for making a game-changing call down the stretch to neutralize Belmont’s drive-and-kick game.

“It was our defense coordinator, Jack McMahon’s suggestion and Jack has done a tremendous job taking over our defense this year,” Carroll said. “He’s really instilled a different mindset in our team that has permeated through this young season thus far. The guys have really bought into him, and I give him full credit on making that decision.”

“It was a really smart decision on his part because they were just kind of driving us to the basket, trying to draw fouls, and kicking out for threes,” Carroll added. “I think that took them off guard; they probably weren’t as ready for that at this time of the year as maybe they will be later in the season. So kudos to Jack.”

Behind that scheme adjustment, Okpara continued his dominant paint presence, finishing with an 11-point second-half output, while senior forward Titas Sargiunas and Esmeraldo hit key shots to keep the Bruins at arm’s length.

For Esmeraldo, the support leading up to tip-off and the energy trading back and forth between the fanbases provided vital fuel down the stretch.

“Yeah, like, I had told my mom, actually, walking around campus today, I had a couple dozen people that I’ve never even met before come up to me and say good luck,” Esmeraldo shared on the pre-game hype. “So just to have that fan support is really important for us. And I honestly think that’s one of the main reasons we won the game tonight, just to see how much energy they had in supporting us.”

“Obviously Belmont traveled well,” Esmeraldo added. “Just between the two schools and that community, that support is really what, as athletes, drives us and makes us want to be great.”

With under two minutes remaining and Belmont pressing, Simpkins delivered the dagger drilling a massive 3-pointer with 1:32 left on the clock to stretch the lead to 81-72.

Down the stretch, Lipscomb’s defense forced late turnover troubles for the Bruins, while Esmeraldo, Martin, and Simpkins iced the game at the charity stripe. Martin sunk back-to-back free throws with 16 seconds remaining to lock in the final 88-75 scoreline before Okpara pulled down the final rebound to spark court-storming celebrations.

The Bisons (2-2) head on the road for their next matchup as they travel to Cullowhee, N.C. to take on Western Carolina University on Saturday, Nov. 14.

Featured Image taken by Isaac Leedham