Final Score – Lipscomb: 71, Belmont: 72
Location – Nashville, Tenn. (Curb Event Center)
Records – Lipscomb: 6-5, Belmont: 7-3
 
THE SHORT STORY
Lipscomb's second half comeback fell just short in the 2023 Battle of the Boulevard as the Bisons fell 72-71 at the Curb Event Center Wednesday evening. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Belmont got out to an early 9-0 lead before the Bisons got on the board when Joe Anderson made a cut behind his defender for an easy bucket. Lipscomb got a couple of good looks, including an impressive midrange shot from Will Pruitt for some momentum. 
 
The Bruins, however, fought back and held a 12-4 lead at the first media timeout of the half. 
 
A 5-0 Belmont run out of the timeout pushed the Bruins' lead out to 17-4 before Owen McCormack earned a pair of free throws and knocked down both, cutting the Belmont advantage 17-6. 
 
Lipscomb shaved its deficit to eight points, 17-9, when Pruitt converted on a traditional three-point play, but Belmont cashed in on the other end with a triple, getting its advantage back out to double digits. 
 
The pace picked up as Belmont made a huge triple to push its lead 28-14, but AJ McGinnis nailed a triple on the other end to keep the Bruins from getting too much separation. 
 
Lipscomb cut the lead to 10-points with a Derrin Boyd driving layup out of the under-eight media timeout, but Belmont responded with four unanswered, pushing its lead back out 35-21 with 4:30 left in the first half. 
 
An 8-0 Belmont run pushed the Bruins ahead 39-21 before Boyd got back to the line and converted a pair, ending the Lipscomb scoring drought.
 
After nearly five minutes without a field goal, Boyd broke through with a big-time triple, giving Lipscomb a much-needed spark. 
 
Lipscomb would head into the locker room with a 44-26 deficit. Lipscomb was shooting just 31-percent from the floor while the Bruins were hitting at a 55-percent clip. 
 
The Bisons came out feeling much more settled in the second half, outscoring the Bruins 7-2 in the early minutes, cutting the lead down to 46-33 with just over 16 minutes to play in the second half. 
 
Grand Asman checked in and immediately hit a massive three-pointer, cutting the lead to 10, 46-36, capping off a 7-0 Lipscomb run. 
 
Belmont responded with a 4-0 run of its own before the under-16 media timeout as it expanded its lead back out 50-36. 
 
The run continued out of the timeout with Belmont getting back out to a 54-36 lead with 13 minutes left to play before TJ Johnson nailed a triple on the Lipscomb end. 
 
Lipscomb once again began to chip away at the deficit with strong offense and by picking things up on the defensive end. Heading into the under-eight media timeout, freshman Cody Head had an important drive to the basket where he finished through contact for the bucket and a chance at a three-point play. He converted from the charity stripe and the deficit was back at 10-points, 66-56.
 
McGinnis got the Bisons in single digits on its next possession with a big layup through traffic with just over six minutes to play in the matchup. 
 
The pace was furious heading into the final media timeout as the Bisons cut the lead 67-60 with 3:57 left to play in the 2023 edition of the Battle of the Boulevard. 
 
Lipscomb's 11-1 run continued as Joe Anderson forced a turnover and Pruitt found a cutting Head who laid an easy one in as it became a five point, 67-62 game. 
 
Head continued to have huge minutes off the bench late and kept Lipscomb's momentum going with a floater in the paint that he rolled in through traffic getting the Bisons within a possession (67-64). 
 
The Bisons continued to chip away when the Bisons got a stop on the defensive end and converted offensively, getting within a point, 69-68 with 43.7 on the clock. 
 
Lipscomb's defense picked up and forced and errant turnover from the Bruins and got the ball back with 35 seconds left. 
 
With the ball, a Lipscomb shot got blocked, but the Bisons got the ball back with 22.4 second left on the game clock and 18 left on the shot clock. McCormack converted an and-one opportunity, giving Lipscomb a 1-69 lead with 18.7 seconds left. 
 
With 6.2 seconds left to play, Belmont got an and-one to go for a one point, 72-71 advantage. Lipscomb had one final opportunity, but the final shot was off target as the Bisons fell by a point as the second half comeback fell short.  
 
HERD NOTES

• The Bisons outscored Belmont 45-28 in the second half. 
• Lipscomb shot 42-percent from the floor and 21-percent from three-point range. 
• Pruitt finished with 21 points while Boyd poured in 12. 
• Pruitt finished as Pruitt's leading rebounder with nine. 

 
UP NEXT
Lipscomb will be back in Allen Arena Sunday, Dec. 10^th for a game against in-town rival Tennessee State. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. CT.