FLORENCE, Ala. – Blythe Pearson and Claira McGowan each scored 20 points in the Bisons' 18-point win over North Alabama (5-11, 1-2 ASUN) 85-67 on the road Saturday night. Lipscomb shot 52 percent from the floor and knocked down ten three-pointers in the win, which improved the Bisons record to 10-7, 3-1 in the ASUN. 

McGowan and Pearson also combined for 15 rebounds on the night. Aleah Sorrentino was the other double-figure scorer for the Bisons, as she tallied 16 points and brought down six rebounds. Sorrentino continued her efficient offensive play, going 7-of-11 on her attempts inside Flowers Hall 

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

It was a fast start to open the game for both teams, as each got up and down at a quick pace. Neither team could sustain a lead until the Bisons closed out the quarter strong, with a 9-1 run to take a 21-16 advantage after one quarter of action. 

Ainhoa Cea led the way in the first quarter, scoring seven points in the opening quarter, already over halfway to her career-high, which she set a few weeks prior.

The Bisons carried that momentum into the second quarter, opening the period with six straight points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting from the floor.

Lipscomb executed well in their offensive sets, combining that stellar defensive intensity on the other end to stretch their lead further out.

The Bisons shot the ball efficiently up to that point, going 11-of-18 going into a UNA timeout at the 7:25 mark to stop the bleeding.

Three-pointers began to fall in bunches for the Bisons as they let it fly confidently midway through the contest.

Taylor Bowen, McGowan, and Pearson all drained three-pointers during a stretch where the Bisons got their lead to as high as 19, capped off on a McGowan layup.

North Alabama cut their deficit down to 13 before the break, but a late three-pointer from McGowan gave Lipscomb a 16-point advantage at halftime. 

The Bisons shot over 50 percent from the floor in the first half, going 18-of-35 on their attempts while also connecting on six three-pointers. They also made the most of their trips to the line, converting on seven of their eight attempts from the charity stripe. 

North Alabama opened the second half on a 10-0 scoring spurt to cut their deficit down to seven. They held the Bisons scoreless for over four minutes during the opening stretch of the frame.Sorrentino was able to break the scoring drought for the Bisons at the 5:56 mark on a second-chance stick back.

The Lions cut the Bisons' biggest lead of 16 in half down to eight on a three-pointer which got the crowd back into it, but Lipscomb managed to weather the storm and returned to a 14-point edge after a Pearson three-pointer with 21 seconds left in the quarter for a 64-50 end-of-the-third-period score.

North Alabama went on their final run in the fourth, getting back to as close as nine, but Lipscomb continued to put their foot on the gas. The Bisons shot their way back to a double-digit advantage and never looked back. Claira McGowan connected on back-to-back three-pointers to go up 14 with 4:54 remaining, which put the contest out of reach. 

The Bisons executed down the stretch, converting on quality possessions to secure an 85-67 win on the road to split the weekend at 1-1. 

HERD NOTES:

• Blythe Pearson scored double figures for the third straight outing.
• McGowan and Pearson had their second 20-point performances of the season against on the night.
• Lipscomb dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Lions 45-27, improving to 9-0 when winning the battle on the boards this season.
• The Bisons outscored North Alabama in the painted area 38-26.
• Lipscomb had eight second-chance points and held the Lions to none.
• Vinson filled up the stat sheet, scoring six points, bringing down seven rebounds, while adding four assists and a block.
• The Bisons extend their win streak over North Alabama to five straight games.
• Lipscomb improved the 8-1 when hitting seven or more threes this season, and hit double-digit threes for the sixth time this season. 

UP NEXT: 
Lipscomb will next travel to Clarksville to battle Austin Peay on Jan. 20. Saturday's tip is set for 2 p.m. CT. 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.