Final Score: Lipscomb: 87, Bellarmine: 53
Location: Louisville, Ky. (Knights Hall)
Records: Lipscomb: 12-6 (4-1, ASUN), Bellarmine: 3-11 (0-5)
THE SHORT STORY
A dominant second half performance pushed Lipscomb Men's Basketball to an 87-53 victory over Bellarmine on Thursday night with the help of 24 points from
Will Pruitt.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Lipscomb and Bellarmine started at a frantic pace, both scoring 15 points before the first media timeout, which didn't come until the 13:50 mark. 13 of 15 of Bellarmine's points all came from Jack Karasinski, who gave the Bisons' defense fits through the first minutes of the matchup.
The pace of the game slowed considerably over the next several minutes, but the squads continued to trade blows and Lipscomb held a slight 22-20 advantage at the under-eight media timeout.
Out of the break, the Bisons quickly scored the next four points, getting out to a 26-20 advantage, prompting a Bellarmine timeout.
Lipscomb stayed ahead throughout the remaining minutes of the first frame, but Bellarmine nailed a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer to cut the Bisons' lead to 36-32 at the break.
Will Pruitt led the Bisons at the half with 14 points, going five-for-six from the field.
The second half started slow for both sides with several scoreless minutes after the first Lipscomb basket, but
Jacob Ognacevic got the Bisons back on the board with a bucket to give Lipscomb a 40-32 lead. The basket pushed him to a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Lipscomb's offense began to click with an 8-0 run, capped off by a
Joe Anderson steal and score, expanding the Bisons lead, 44-32, before a Knights timeout.
The Bisons defense was locked in to start the second half, holding Bellarmine without points for the first 10 minutes of the half. Lipscomb took advantage on the offensive end with a 25-0 run, blowing the lid off for a 61-32 advantage.
Will Pruitt continued his dominance, scoring 24 points with 10 minutes left to play in the matchup.
At the final media timeout of the game, the Bisons continued to hold a 76-45 advantage with 3:58 left in regulation.
Lipscomb saw out an 87-53 victory on Thursday night, to improve to 4-1 in ASUN play.
HERD NOTES
- Pruitt had a game-high 24 points and added seven rebounds.
- Ognacevic finished his night with 17 points and 16 rebounds.
- Other double-digit scorers included Joe Anderson (10) and Grant Asman (11).
- Lipscomb shot 53.2-percent from the field and 42.9-percent from three-point range.
UP NEXT
The Bisons will return home on Saturday, Jan. 18 for a 6 p.m. CT matchup with Austin Peay in Allen Arena.
