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ahsan asadullah shot
81
Winner Belmont BEL 5-1
71
Lipscomb LIP 2-5
Winner
Belmont BEL
5-1
81
Final
71
Lipscomb LIP
2-5
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Belmont BEL 47 34 81
Lipscomb LIP 38 33 71

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Kirk Downs

Shorthanded Bisons fall in Battle of the Boulevard

NASHVILLE – The only Battle of the Boulevard matchup of the season lived up to the rivalry's moniker as Lipscomb and Belmont duked it out for all 40 minutes, but in the end it was the Bruins who emerged victorious, 81-71, Saturday night inside Allen Arena.

The Bisons (2-5) came back from 14 points down early in the second half and cut the deficit to two, but were never able to grab the advantage.

Lipscomb got big performances from Ahsan Asadullah and KJ Johnson, as the duo combined for 45 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and three steals.
   
HOW IT HAPPENED
Belmont (5-1) opened the game on fire, connecting on eight of its first 10 shots to grab a double-digit lead. Behind Caleb Hollander's fast start, the Bruins knocked down five 3-pointers and raced out to a 29-15 lead midway through the first half.

Dressed for the first time this season, it didn't take long for Johnson to get on the floor. And when the sophomore finally did, he put on a show. In less than a three-minute span, Johnson and Asadullah scored 15 straight points, capped by a triple from the former to trim Belmont's advantage to 33-28.
The Bruins quickly pushed the lead back to 14 on 9-0 run, and after a Romeao Ferguson 3-pointer, they took a 47-38 lead into the half.

Lipscomb fell behind again by 14 early in the second half after three straight makes by the visitors, but Johnson and Asadullah were there again to make a charge. They ran off 10 straight points for the Bisons before Parker Hazen buried his second 3-pointer from the right wing to help make it a one-possession game at 60-58 with 11:49 to play.
That would be as close as Lipscomb would get though, as Belmont ran its lead back out with a 7-1 spurt.

Down nine with 5:30 on the clock, Asadullah went to work. He deposited back-to-back buckets, and after a jumper from Ferguson, Asadullah got a block and rebound on one end of the floor before knocking down a jumper to pull Lipscomb to within 74-71.

Over the last 3:04, the Bisons were unable to get another shot to fall as Belmont put the game away with free throws down the stretch.

Lipscomb's leading scorer Greg Jones went down with injury just six minutes into the game and never returned.

FROM THE BENCH
   

HERD NOTES
  • Asadullah finished the night with 29 points, 11 rebounds and three assists, while going 13-of-24 from the floor. It was his season high in points and rebounds, and gave him his second double-double of the season.
  • His 29-point effort was his highest since scoring 40 against FGCU in the first round of the ASUN Tournament last season. It marked his 13th-career outing of 20 or more points.
  • Johnson put on a show with 16 points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals and a few highlight-reel plays. The sophomore played 31 minutes and shot 7-of-13 in first game action of the season.
  • Ferguson was the only other Bison in double figures. He scored 10 points and grabbed five boards.
  • Parker Hazen nearly reeled in his first double-double with nine points and eight rebounds. He scored a season-high in points and connected on his first two triples of the season. His only other career game with two made threes came last season against Belmont on the road.
  • Lipscomb shot 45.3 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from deep, and 53.3 percent from the line.
  • The Bisons and Bruins both snagged 35 rebounds, but Lipscomb was able to gain the advantage on the offensive end, 11-8, leading to 13 second-chance points.
  • Belmont shot 50.8 percent after hitting nearly 56 percent in the first half. They knocked down eight of their 11 threes before halftime.
  • Lipscomb has played seven games in 15 days to open the season, and has yet to play with a full squad. 
 
UP NEXT
Lipscomb welcomes Trevecca at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

 
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