Men's Basketball 1/7/2021 5:57:00 PM

Men's Basketball Opens ASUN Road Play at Newcomer Bellarmine

Friday, January 8
Time: 6:00 p.m. – Lipscomb (6-6, 1-1 ASUN) at Bellarmine (3-3, 0-0 ASUN)
Location: Freedom Hall | Louisville, Ky.
Links: ESPN+ | Live Stats

Saturday, January 9
Time: 4:00 p.m. – Lipscomb (6-6, 1-1 ASUN) at Bellarmine (3-3, 0-0 ASUN)
Location: Freedom Hall | Louisville, Ky.
Links: ESPN+ | Live Stats

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After wrapping up the opening weekend of ASUN Conference play, the Lipscomb men's basketball team hits the road this weekend to take on league-newcomer Bellarmine at historic Freedom Hall.

In the first-ever games as an ASUN member, the Knights and Bisons will tip at 6 p.m. Friday and at 4 p.m. Saturday. Both contests will air on ESPN+ with Nick Curran handling the play-by-play and Forrest Smallwood as the color analyst.

SERIES HISTORY

Friday's matchup will be the seventh meeting all-time between the programs and the first with both as Division I members.
Bellarmine leads the series 5-1.
The last matchup came December 16, 2000 (93-78, BU).
The Bisons only win came February 5, 1977 in a 79-69 victory.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT

An intriguing feature of Bellarmine's ASUN debut is the coaching matchup that pits Lipscomb's Lennie Acuff against the Knights' Scott Davenport. The reason it's so intriguing is that when Davenport made his collegiate heading coach debut 16 years ago, he did it against Alabama-Huntsville, who was coached by Acuff.
Bellarmine enters the weekend on a 2-game win streak after taking down DIII Transylvania and Mount St. Joseph last weekend by a combined 102 points.
Junior Pedro Bradshaw paces the Knights in both scoring (14.7) and rebounding (6.8).
Fellow junior Dylan Penn has also been dependable, averaging 13.0 ppg while leading the team in assists at 3.5 per game.
As a team, the Knights are leading the ASUN in both overall field goal percentage (53.7) and 3-point field goal percentage (43.2).

ABOUT THE BISONS

Lipscomb features a balanced attack, with four players scoring in double figures, seven players averaging at least 5.0 points and 12 players averaging at least 10 minutes per game.
KJ Johnson leads a group of four players scoring in double figures at 13.7 PPG followed by Ahsan Asadullah (12.5 PPG), Romeao Ferguson (12.0 PPG) and Greg Jones (10.4 PPG)
Johnson averaged 14.0 ppg in two games against Liberty and is shooting a blistering 54.7 percent on the year … He is also averaging 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists each time out, compiling 17 assists to only eight turnovers.
Romeao Ferguson continued his hot streak over the weekend and ranks third on the squad averaging 12.0 points … He has scored in double figures in six straight outings and in 11-of-12 on the season … He leads the team with 17 steals and has swiped at least two in seven outings … He is one of four players to make at least 20 free throws on the year.
Junior center Ahsan Asadullah is leading the team in rebounding (7.7) and assists (4.1) … He is second on the team in scoring at 12.5 ppg after posting 24 and 15 points, respectively against the Flames – both team highs ... His 49 total assists are the most among any center in the nation after registering at least three in eight of the 12 games this season … He also ranks fifth in scoring and ninth in rebounding among centers … He has pulled down two double-doubles this season after totaling an ASUN-leading 15 last season … Asadullah currently ranks fourth in the ASUN for assists and rebounds per game.
Greg Jones returned from injury over the weekend and scored 13 points on Friday in the opener behind four three-pointers made with five rebounds … His 21 made triples are most on the Bisons and is shooting 38.9 percent from deep …His 29.4 minutes per game are tops on the team.

HERD NOTES

Of Lipscomb's 12 games thus far this season, six have been decided by 10 points or less.
The Bisons are in their 17th season of play in the ASUN Conference after joining the league as a full-time member in 2003-04.
Lipscomb has won 4-straight ASUN road openers, including a 66-63 victory at Stetson on Jan. 2, 2020.
Lipscomb's 181 total assists on the year rank 24^th in the country. The team's 15.1 assists per game total is the 3rd-best total in the ASUN.
The Bisons are among the league leaders in free throws made (148) and attempted (214). The rank first in FT's made and second in attempts.
Lipscomb shoots it from deep at a 37.3 percent clip, the 2nd-best mark in the ASUN and 56^th in the country.
Lipscomb returns 10 letter winners and three of its primary starters from a squad that finished 16-16 overall and 9-7 in ASUN
Lennie Acuff is in his 2nd season at the helm of the program and his 31st overall as a head coach. His 16 wins last season were the most by a first-year head coach in Lipscomb's Division I era.

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Players Mentioned

#1 Greg Jones: Guard; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#23 Ahsan Asadullah: Center; 6' 8"; Sophomore

#0 KJ Johnson: Guard; 6' 1"; Freshman

#3 Romeao Ferguson: Guard; 6' 5"; Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

#1 Greg Jones
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: Guard

#23 Ahsan Asadullah
: 6' 8"; Sophomore
: Center

#0 KJ Johnson
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: Guard

#3 Romeao Ferguson
: 6' 5"; Graduate Student
: Guard

Lipscomb University

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Men's Basketball Opens ASUN Road Play at Newcomer Bellarmine

Players Mentioned

#1 Greg Jones

#23 Ahsan Asadullah

#0 KJ Johnson

#3 Romeao Ferguson

Players Mentioned

#1 Greg Jones

#23 Ahsan Asadullah

#0 KJ Johnson

#3 Romeao Ferguson