Final Score – Lipscomb: 68, Belmont: 75
Location – Nashville, Tenn. (Curb Event Center)
Records – Lipscomb: 1-4, Belmont: 4-0
THE SHORT STORY
Despite an impressive night defensively, Lipscomb was unable to overcome a poor shooting night as the Bisons fell 75-68 to Belmont in the 2025 edition of the Battle of the Boulevard.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Lipscomb won the tip, but was unable to cash in on the possession as Belmont scored the first points of the night.
The Bisons settled in, and buckets from
Grant Asman and
Mateo Esmeraldo got the Lipscomb offense going as Belmont hung onto an early 6-5 advantage.
The pace was quick early, and the atmosphere lively, as the Bisons had a 9-5 advantage at the first media timeout.
Neither team made a field goal for the next several minutes of play, but Belmont got out to a 12-5 advantage by manufacturing points at the charity stripe.
Lipscomb got back on the board when Asman rose for a block that led to a fastbreak opportunity for
Or Ashkenazi to cut the Belmont lead 11-7. The score would hold to the under-12 media timeout.
The Bisons were playing well defensively, keeping Belmont to just one field goal and forcing five turnovers in the next four minutes. Lipscomb, however, struggled to find the bottom of the net, as the squad was shooting just 20-percent.
Kennedy Okpara broke the Lipscomb scoring drought with an emphatic dunk. Belmont would answer with a triple, but the Bisons used buckets from
Charlie Williams and
Kellan Boylan to tie things up with 7:23 to play in the half.
Out of the under-eight timeout, Lipscomb took its first lead, 19-17, when
Mateo Esmeraldo sunk a triple as the shot clock expired.
The Bruins then went on a 6-0 run as the Bisons continued to struggle offensively for a 23-19 Belmont advantage at the final media timeout of the half.
The Bisons punched right back with five-straight for a 24-23 advantage with under a minute to go in the half. Belmont retook a 25-24 advantage with 20 seconds to play in the frame. The Bisons had the last shot, but were unable to get a bucket as Lipscomb narrowly trailed 25-24 at halftime.
After the first 20 minutes of play, Lipscomb was shooting just 29-percent, but stayed in the game with staunch defense, forcing 11 turnovers. Lipscomb was also hitting the glass hard with 23 rebounds, 11 of which were offensive boards.
Lipscomb struggled out of the gate in the second half as the Bruins scored the first nine points to open a double-digit, 34-24 advantage over the Bisons.
The Bisons were still searching for its first points of the second half at the first media timeout, trailing 37-24. Lipscomb's scoring woes continued as the team continued to search for its first bucket with 13:45 to play in the second half.
The drought was broken when
Ross Candelino connected on his first points of the night with a triple to make the score 41-27.
Lipscomb's defense continued to hold Belmont to tough shots, giving itself a chance down the stretch. The Bisons forced three turnovers and launched a 7-0 run to trail 47-36 at the under-eight media timeout.
Out of the break, Lipscomb used a 6-0 run over a minute, cutting the lead back down 56-45 to prompt a Belmont timeout.
Out of the timeout, Asman connected on his fourth trey of the night, pulling the Bisons back in single digits with just under four to play.
The teams traded buckets down the stretch, but the Bisons were not able to overcome the slow second-half start as it fell 75-68.
HERD NOTES
- Lipscomb shot just 32-percent and held Belmont to 43-percent from the floor
- Asman was Lipscomb's leading scorer with 13 points
- Five Bisons scored in double figures
- Esmeraldo and Candelino both ended the night with eight rebounds
UP NEXT
The Bisons will return to Allen Arena on Saturday, Nov. 22 as they welcome Western Carolina for a 4 p.m. CT tipoff.
