JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Ahsan Asadullah notched his 12^th double-double of the season, and Michael Buckland knocked down a pair of huge free throws in the final seconds to earn the Lipscomb men’s basketball team a big 68-67 road win over the Jacksonville Dolphins Thursday night at Swisher Gym.

“I am so proud of our team and staff,” head coach Lennie Acuff said. “To get down 15 points in the first half, battle back to take the lead and then have to score the last seven points to win the game says so much about the character of our kids.”

After quick work from Asadullah put Lipscomb up three points in the opening minutes of the game, Jacksonville (12-16, 5-8 ASUN) turned the tables with an 11-3 run that put the Dolphins in front at the first media timeout.

In front of a near-capacity crowd celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the 1969-70 NCAA National Finalist JAX men’s basketball team, the Dolphins connected on seven of their next eight shot attempts to build a 15-point lead at 38-23 with just under six minutes to play in the first half.

But just as quickly as Jacksonville built that lead, Lipscomb took it right back with a 15-2 run to end the half. Freshman KJ Johnson put the offense on his back and scored 11 of the team’s 15 points to send Lipscomb into the break down just 40-38.

Jacksonville came out of the locker room and stretched its lead before the Bisons grabbed the lead, 52-51, on a jumper from Greg Jones with 11:02 on the clock. It was Lipscomb’s first lead since 7-4.

The Bisons led by as many as four points before another furious Jacksonville rally put the home team up 67-61 with 3:28 to play.

Lipscomb spent a majority of the last few minutes at the free throw line, chipping its way back into the game. Following makes from Asadullah and Johnson, junior Parker Hazen slammed home a dunk to make it a one-point game with under a minute to play. After a missed jumper on the other end, Buckland was fouled in the open floor while trying to split a pair of defenders.

The career 77% free throw shooter knocked both attempts down with nine seconds to play, sending the Bisons home with a fifth-straight victory.  

“It was a great college basketball game and we have a ton of respect for Jacksonville,” Acuff said. “We were fortunate to make one more play at the end of the game. We have lost several games that came down to the last possession this season, so to see our guys persevere on the road was fun to watch.”

The win improved the Bisons to 13-14 overall and 8-6 in the ASUN, and puts them in the driver’s seat for hosting duties in next month’s conference championship.

Lipscomb enters the weekend two games up on North Alabama, Jacksonville and FGCU in the standings. A purple and gold victory in either of its two remaining games would clinch a top-4 seed for the Bisons.

HERD NOTES

• Lipscomb shot 45.5 percent (25-55) from the floor, 28.6 percent (4-14) from deep, and 70.0 percent (14-20) from the line.
• Jacksonville hit 50.0 percent (25-50) of its shots, including 40.0 percent (6-15) from three and 73.3 percent (11-15) from the stripe.
• Lipscomb won the rebounding battle 36-24, including 13 on the offensive end leading to 11 second-chance points.
• Asadullah led the Bisons with 20 points and 10 rebounds for his 12^th double-double of the season, and his seventh in eight games. He also added three assists, three blocks and two steals to his line.
• Buckland finished with 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting and pulled down seven boards.
• Johnson was the third Bison in double figures with 17 points in 26 minutes. He also recorded three rebounds and a pair of assists.
• Deanthony McCallum led JAX with a game-high 21 points, while David Bell and Mo Arnold added 11.

UP NEXT

Lipscomb will stay in Jacksonville for its final road contest of the regular season on Saturday when the Bisons take on North Florida at 4 p.m.