Sports
Lipscomb sports games.
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Pressure is a privilege: Lipscomb Cheer places third at UCA Nationals
Cheerleaders are used to supporting others. They stand on the sidelines of every game, encouraging the basketball teams and energizing the crowd. But at the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) College Nationals this month, the Lipscomb cheer team took center stage. They competed against top cheer teams in the country, and placed third in their division – a major accomplishment. Last year was the first time in school history that Lipscomb competed at UCA Nationals. Whitney Cadavid, Lipscomb’s director of cheer, was proud of how much the team grew after their first competition. “Last year was our breakthrough year. Our routine last year was amazing, and the team hit zero, which…
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Lipscomb men’s basketball brings home overtime win against Stetson
The Lipscomb men’s basketball team took on the Stetson Hatters in Allen Arena Thursday afternoon, in a match moved up to avoid the winter storms. The last time the Bisons faced off against the Hatters, on January 8, in DeLand, Florida, the Bisons lost 83-91. But that wouldn’t be the case this time. This time, when the Bisons took on the Hatters, at home, they beat them in overtime, 79-74. The Bisons took the lead early, graduate student forward Grant Asman making a layup to start off their momentum. By the 12 minute mark in the first half, the Bisons were leading 21-9. Nearly three minutes passed with both teams…
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Lipscomb men’s basketball dominates No. 1 ASUN Austin Peay
On Saturday, Jan. 17, Allen Arena was packed in anticipation of the Lipscomb men’s basketball team’s showdown with the No. 1 ASUN team, Austin Peay. That showdown did not disappoint, and eventually resulted in Lipscomb’s victory, 82-78. Nearly 3,000 people filled the seats in Allen Arena, many of them local youth wearing kids’ jerseys, who lined the court to high five the players during the opening lineup. The game began with points for Lipscomb, graduate student forward Grant Asman making a layup in the paint to put two on the board for the Bisons. After that layup, a trade-the-lead dance began, as the two teams scored time after time, inching…
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After 23 years, Volleyball Head Coach Brandon Rosenthal to retire
When one thinks of Lipscomb Volleyball, Head Coach Brandon Rosenthal comes to mind. The two are strongly tied together – but they won’t be for much longer. After 23 seasons as Lipscomb Volleyball’s head coach, it’s no surprise that Rosenthal is one of the cornerstones of the program. Yet late in the afternoon of Jan. 7, his retirement was announced to the Lipscomb community. The decision came, Rosenthal said to Lipscomb Athletics, not from a desire to leave Lipscomb, but rather from one to “put FAMILY FIRST, a message I have preached for decades.” Athletic’s Director Philip Hutcheson, in a release from Athletics, spoke highly of Rosenthal. “Brandon’s legacy here…
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2026 and then: Ken Dugan Field commemorated 35 years ago
Former players stood in a long line along the third-base line in 1991 as Lipscomb formally named its new baseball field for Coach Ken Dugan, honoring the coach who shaped generations of Bison players. Dugan coached at Lipscomb from 1960 to 1996, winning more than 1,000 games and leading the Bisons to NAIA national championships in 1977 and 1979. The prior home for Lipscomb baseball had been Onion Dell, where the Ezell Center now stands. The 35th anniversary anniversary is a reminder of who Dugan was – a coach whose character, faith and compassion shaped Lipscomb baseball as much as his skills did as a coach. For the Dugan family,…
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2026 and then: Draper Diamond celebrates 20th anniversary
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Draper Diamond, Lipscomb’s softball field, named after the late Lassie Draper. March 7, 2006, marked the first game on the new field, and Mary Pat Draper, the daughter of Lassie Draper, shared her experiences from that day. “There was a very lovely reception beforehand, and lots of people came – friends and family and alumni,” Draper said. “I guess I just felt really proud putting our name out there like that.” The Draper Diamond had a fitting name, as Draper Jewelry Co. sits across Granny White Pike from Lipscomb’s campus. “Andy Lane, who used to work at Lipscomb in the athletic department,…
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2025 and then: A half-century later, Bison ace Bo McLaughlin is remembered for MLB signing…and horrific injury
Tucked in a worn brown file deep inside Lipscomb’s athletic archives sits a faded photograph: a young right-handed pitcher in a purple uniform, glove raised, eyes locked onto the catcher. The edges of the image are cracked with age. The name on the back is written in ballpoint pen – Bo McLaughlin, 1970s. Most students walking past the archives have no idea the man in the picture was the first Bison ever to sign with a Major League Baseball team—or that decades later, at 72, he is remembered as much for a terrifying injury that nearly ended his life. McLaughlin played for the Bisons from 1972-1975 and is still considered…
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Lipscomb scares No. 3 Duke early, ultimately falls 97-73
The Lipscomb Bisons were defeated by the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils 97-73 on Tuesday, Dec. 16. The Bisons felt the pressure from the Cameron Crazies early on, turning the ball over four times and falling into a 10-0 hole. A steal and score by freshman guard Or Ashkenazi opened the scoring for Lipscomb, and proved to be the spark that ignited Lipscomb’s fire. The Bisons rallied back to tie the game at 10 and took its first lead of the game with 13:51 remaining in the first half, courtesy of a layup by graduate student forward Grant Asman. The momentum continued to swing in Lipscomb’s favor as buckets by…
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Double header, double win
Lipscomb men’s and women’s basketball teams played a double header on Sunday in Allen Arena. The afternoon started with the Lipscomb women’s basketball team defeating the Tennessee State Tigers 63-55. TSU took a 24-38 lead at the half, but the Bisons made a comeback in the fourth quarter to take the lead and win the game. With 11 blocked shots in the game, freshmen guard Hope Counts set a new Lipscomb record. The previous record was set in 2011 by Jess Reece with seven. Other key players in the game included senior guard Molly Heard with 16 points, junior guard Elena Bertrand with 14 points, junior guard McKayla Miller with…
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Lipscomb WSOC Head Coach Kevin O’Brien to coach for Mississippi State
This afternoon, Mississippi State women’s soccer announced that Lipscomb women’s soccer Head Coach Kevin O’Brien would be coming to coach for the Bulldogs. O’Brien recently led the Bisons to their second consecutive ASUN Championship victory this season. He also took them back to the NCAA Tournament, where they beat Mississippi State 1-0 in the first round. O’Brien also won the ASUN Coach of the Year award for the 2025 season, making it his fifth career ASUN Coach of the Year. After 14 seasons coaching women’s soccer at Lipscomb, O’Brien is the winningest head coach in program history. He boasts more than 150 career victories, having reached that milestone this season.…
