Bisons stage thrilling comeback, defeat EKU 81-67

The Lipscomb men’s basketball team faced one of its biggest games of the season Friday, March 1, against the No. 1 ranked team in the ASUN, Eastern Kentucky. The game went back and forth, but the Bisons rallied and pulled off an 81-67 victory over the EKU Colonels.

The game started out in EKU’s favor, but their lead was short lived. The Bisons turned the game around, with junior guard Will Pruitt sinking a three point shot to bring the score to 5-4 in the Bisons favor.

The Bisons held their lead for nearly the next ten minutes of the game. The game remained tight however, with both teams strong on their offense and defense. Both teams had enough steals and blocks to keep the score fairly low. By the lead change at 8:42 into the game, the score was only 18-20, in EKU’s favor.

Eastern Kentucky continued to build on their lead as Lipscomb hit a momentary scoring draught. The Bisons made only one two point shot in the next near ten minutes of the game, freshman Guard Cody Head making it to the basket off of an assist from graduate Center Owen McCormack. However, their defensive game remained fairly tight, and they allowed EKU to score only six times in those ten minutes, outside of free throws.

Junior guard AJ McGinnis turned the Bison’s momentum around with just over three minutes left in the first half, sinking a three-point shot that brought the team’s offense back to life. From there, the Bisons shortened EKU’s lead from 15 to eight by the end of the first half. The Bison’s defense also remained strong, only allowing EKU a single basket during the last three minutes of the half. Junior guard Joe Anderson closed out the half with a deep three-point shot, invigorating the team and the crowd.

The second half remained fast paced. The crowd, packed with Lipscomb students in black and purple Lippy Lunatics jerseys and parents in purple and gold, kept their energy high through the second half.

A jump shot by Head and two free throws by McCormack put EKU’s lead to five points. Pruitt then followed a McGinnis layup with a three point shot to tie the game at 45. EKU managed to pull ahead slightly after that, but it would not last long. A foul by EKU’s senior guard Collin Cooper turned into a technical foul on EKU’s head coach A.W Hamilton, and Pruitt stepped to the line.

Pruitt shot four free throws, two for the technical foul and two for the personal foul, making all four. This gave the Bisons a three-point lead. The first time the Bisons had taken the lead since the first half. This time, the lead was theirs for keeps.

The Bisons continued to dominate the floor, and a three point shot by McCormack took their lead to ten points, with 2:45 left in the game. Faulkner would not be the only Bison to dunk on EKU during the game. Asman also came in for an impressive dunk on EKU’s junior Forward Montavious Myrick. The 6’11” center spotted his opportunity and took it, electrifying the crowd and bringing the Bison’s lead forward yet again. The Bisons closed out the game 81-67 over the EKU Colonels.

The Bisons will play their next game in Allen Arena on Tuesday, at seven pm, against the number 6 ASUN team North Alabama, in the first round of the ASUN conference tournament.