Ticket punched! Lipscomb crowned ASUN Champions with 76-65 win over North Alabama

Lipscomb secured the ASUN Tournament Championship with a 76-65 victory over North Alabama at Allen Arena on Sunday afternoon.

In front of 5,000 fans, Joe Anderson led the Bisons with 23 points, including four three-pointers, while Will Pruitt added 17 points and 10 made free throws. The win clinches Lipscomb’s spot in the NCAA Tournament for just the second time and the first time since 2018.

Anderson reflected on the performance postgame.

“Coach Acuff said this morning, he said, ‘We got a God who gives us second chances.’ And we
were in a similar game like this last year, and it didn’t go in our favor. But I tell you what, we
worked hard, and it feels so good to see it pay off.”

Pruitt, a fifth-year senior, spoke with gratitude about Head Coach Lennie Acuff and his teammates.

“It took us five years, Coach! And I’m so thankful for that man right there,” Pruitt said. “The sacrifices he’s made for this team day-in and day-out. He doesn’t get enough praise, and he’s the most humble guy. So, I’m thankful for him. I’m thankful for this team. This dude [Joe Anderson] was unbelievable all tournament, and he deserves everything that’s come his way.”

The heavyweight matchup featured the No. 1 seed Bisons and the No. 2 seed Lions. Lipscomb jumped to an early 21-10 lead halfway in the first. The Lions fought back, putting together a 12-2 run that cut the Bison lead to six at halftime.

Lipscomb had a sluggish start to the second half, and the Lions took their first lead, 46-43, with 13:37 remaining. But Anderson answered with a four-point play, and the game was back and forth for the next dozen minutes.

North Alabama’s defense prevented open looks, holding Lipscomb to only eight assists. But Lipscomb capitalized on free throws and foul trouble for UNA.

Given the physicality of the game, the most intriguing stat was free throws. Lipscomb made 26 of 30, while UNA struggled at 15 of 24—a difference that proved crucial in the 11-point margin.

Acuff reflected on his journey to get here.

“I definitely want to talk about Joe,” Acuff said. “There’s a few things I want to say, though, before I get to that. I cannot tell you how thankful I am. I see there’s Huntsville stations here, so I’d been there 22 years, you know, and that was my home.”

Acuff spent 22 years at the University of Alabama-Huntsville before taking over at Lipscomb.

“You always dreamed of having a chance to coach Division I basketball,” Acuff said. “But I had an athletic director in Philip Hutcheson. Not a lot of guys want to hire D2 guys. But I had an athletic director that gave me a chance. I said this to somebody the other night, ‘Good players win games; administrations win championships.’ That’s just the reality.”

Acuff continued to praise the staff and the university for the support he has received.

“But I felt like we’ve been really fortunate to hire staff that believe in what we’re doing. And today Lipscomb won. Lipscomb University won today.”

Acuff said the steadiness of Pruitt played a key role in getting Lipscomb to the championship.

“But these guys, they ran right to the fight,” Acuff said. “And I remember Will saying, ‘I’m coming back because I’m going to go to the NCAA Tournament. It’s not easy; it’s a tough thing to do. And I’ve been fortunate.

When the final buzzer sounded, there was only one favorite moment for Acuff: “Getting to be with our team.”

Acuff continued, “And then getting to be with my wife, my family. Yeah, for sure. That’s just – there’s so much that goes into this. We started June 1st. I mean, we’ve been doing it since June 1st. And the first meeting, they said we want to win a championship. But they’re hard to come by. And just to see them, I’m just so happy for them.”

Photos by Herd Media’s Micah Barkley