JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – In a clash of 4-2 ball clubs, Claira McGowan put up a career-high 23 points, and Bella Vinson went for a season-high 19 in a 68-45 win over ETSU Thursday night in Johnson City. 

The Bisons shot well all night, ending with a 52.1-percent field goal percentage, going 25-of-49 from the floor. Lipscomb has been lethal from deep to start the season, and that trend continued Thursday against the Bucs, as the Bisons shot 47.1 percent from deep, connecting on 11 of their three-pointers, their second-highest mark for the season. 

Defensively, the Bisons held ETSU to a 29.6 percent shooting outing, their second-lowest of the season. Despite strong runs from ETSU in the second and third quarters, the Bisons never trailed in the victory, and the final score 68-45 was their largest advantage in the contest. 

Lipscomb played smothering defense in the first quarter, backed by efficient shooting. The Bisons opened the ball game on an 8-0 run, holding ETSU scoreless for nearly three minutes.

Led by McGowan and Vinson, with five points each in the first period, Lipscomb won the first quarter 17-6, holding the Bucs to a 15.4 percent clip in the frame with only two made baskets. 

ETSU went on a run at the beginning of the second quarter to come within three with 3:46 left before halftime, but Lipscomb had their first quality response of the night, scoring 12 straight, led by McGowan with seven points in the period. 

Freshman Olivia Vandergriff also provided essential minutes for the Bisons during the stretch off the bench. In the 12-point run, Vandergriff knocked down a pair of triples, forcing an ETSU timeout with roughly two minutes to go. The run helped the Bisons earn a 37-22 lead entering the halftime break. 

ETSU opened the third outscoring the Bisons 16-3, including a nine-point scoring run, cutting their deficit to two after a bucket plus the harm and a made free throw to complete the three-point opportunity. 

However, Lipscomb's second critical response came after that sequence, starting with a bucket inside from Ainhoa Cea. Then, Vinson found an open lane for a left-handed layup and another bucket inside by the crafty Cea a few possessions later. That six-point run gave the Bisons a 48-41 advantage entering the final quarter of play.

The Bisons finished strong in the fourth quarter, putting forth another smothering effort defensively. ETSU scored just four points in the final quarter, while the Bisons matched their second-quarter scoring total, putting up 20 points in the final frame. 

Lipscomb paired great defense with notable execution on the other end. The Bisons went 8-of-10 from the floor and 3-of-5 from deep, slowing down their pace and working for good looks offensively. The McGowan and Vinson tandem provided the bulk of the scoring in the fourth as they were responsible for a combined 16 points. 

As a result, the Bisons earned their third win in program history over ETSU and improved to 5-2 on the year, and 4-1 on the road. 

HERD NOTES:

• The Bisons shot a season-best 52.1 percent from the floor and a season-best 47.8 from three point land.
• The Bisons won the battle on the boards 37-28.
• Entering the ball game, the Bucs were holding their opponents to just 36.3 percent shooting. 

POSTGAME THOUGHTS FROM COACH LAUREN SUMSKI:

Thoughts from Coach Sumski after our win over ETSU! #IntoTheStorm ?? | #HornsUp ?? pic.twitter.com/Iri48Kyxdz

— Lipscomb Women's Basketball (@LipscombWBB) December 1, 2023

UP NEXT: 
Lipscomb will end its five-game road stretch against Belmont on Wednesday, Dec. 6. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. CT inside Curb Event Center, with the contest airing on ESPN+. Continue to check lipscombsports.com and the team's social media accounts (@lipscombwbb on IG and @lipscomb_wbb on X) for the most up-to-date information on Lipscomb women's basketball.