Final Score: Lipscomb: 79, Belmont: 80
Location: Nashville, Tenn. (Allen Arena)
Records: Lipscomb: 2-2, Belmont: 2-1
THE SHORT STORY
Despite being the better team for much of the game, the Bisons fell 80-79 to Belmont on Tuesday in front of a full house in Allen Arena.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Lipscomb got off to a hot start with five straight points, but Belmont bounced back with eight-unanswered to take an 8-5 lead five minutes into the matchup.
Jacob Ognacevic got Belmont back on the board with a tough layup to settle the Bisons offense. The squads traded blows at a furious pace.
Gyasi Powell tied the game up at 15 with a triple from the corner, giving Lipscomb back some momentum just before the media timeout.
Out of the timeout, Belmont scored two-straight to get back out to a 19-15 lead.
The Bisons started to get some offensive stability when
Miles White forced a turnover that led to an Ognacevic dunk and
Joe Anderson drained a triple that tied the game at 22 each with 5:33 left in the first half.
The grudge match continued as the game was 25-25 at the under-four media timeout.
Out of the timeout, Lipscomb forced a turnover and took its first lead since the first minutes when
Will Pruitt put in a layup for a 27-25 advantage.
The pace continued to be frantic through the final minutes. The Bisons had the final shot of the half, but it bounced out and Belmont took a 33-32 lead into the halftime break.
Lipscomb started out the second half strong when Ognacevic nailed a triple. He scored two more quick buckets for a 39-35 Lipscomb lead.
The Lipscomb lead was short lived as Belmont hit back-to-back triples to retake a 41-39 advantage.
The lead continued to trade hands through the next several minutes. During the stretch, Ognacevic hit another big three-pointer to give him 20 points on the night. Belmont held a slight 55-53 advantage at the under-12 media timeout.
With a shade over 10 minutes to go in the second half,
Logan Suber forced a Belmont turnover and Pruitt laid the ball in on the other end for a 58-55 Lipscomb lead, forcing a Belmont timeout.
Out of the timeout, Lipscomb extended its 9-0 run, pushing out to a 62-55 lead. Pruitt kept things going with a massive triple at the top of the arc for a 65-55 double-digit advantage before the next timeout at the 7:01 mark.
The Bisons held onto a double-digit lead for several minutes, but the Bruins clawed back in with a couple of three-point plays, cutting the Lipscomb lead 75-69 with 2:25 left in the game.
Dylan Faulkner ended the mini-run by the Bruins with a tough layup, but Belmont once again hit a triple on the other end to keep the pressure on the Bisons.
The squads once-again traded buckets for a 79-74 game in favor of Lipscomb, and Belmont called a timeout with 1:10 left on the clock.
Out of the timeout, Lipscomb missed a triple and Belmont answered with a three-pointer on the other end, shaving the Lipscomb lead 79-77 with 43.1 left on the clock.
Belmont, however, went on a run and cut the Lipscomb lead to a pair. With three seconds left, Belmont finished through contact and made the free throw for an 80-79 lead.
Lipscomb inbounded the ball and called a timeout at halfcourt with 1.1 seconds remaining. The Bisons got a good look on the inbound, but were unable to cash in as Lipscomb fell 80-79.
HERD NOTES
- Ognacevic led the way with 28 points. Pruitt and Faulkner hit double digits with 20 points and 12 points, respectively
- Ognacevic led the rebounding for the Bisons with seven
- Belmont score 19 points in the final 3:35 of the game
- The Bisons shot 47-percent and Belmont shot 52-percent from the field
UP NEXT
The Bisons hit the road for its next two matchups. Lipscomb will play at Western Kentucky on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. CT before heading to No. 19 Kentucky on Tuesday, Nov. 19.
