Friday, December 03, 2010

The Game

The Lipscomb University Bisons open Atlantic Sun Conference play Saturday evening against the Mercer Bears in Allen Arena.  The game is set to tip at 6:32 p.m. central time.

Lipscomb has won four consecutive matchups with the Bears and 11 of the last 12 meetings.  Lipscomb is 5-2 against Mercer in Allen Arena and 11-4 overall.

Lipscomb has had a week to prepare for the contest after defeating UT Martin 90-71 on the road last Saturday.  Brandon Barnes scored a career-high 25 points as the Bisons rallied from a 13-point first half deficit.  Adnan Hodzic (22/11), Brandon Brown (10/11), and Josh Slater (15/13) each posted double-doubles for the Bisons.  Lipscomb outrebounded UT Martin 55-24.

Mercer dropped its A-Sun opener at Belmont Thursday night 89-67.  Belmont led the whole contest.  Former Lipscomb Bison Brandon Moore tallied 22 points and 10 rebounds, both team-highs.  Brian Mills scored 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 20 minutes of action. Jeff Smith leads Mercer in scoring at 14.5 per contest.  Moore averages 13 points and a team-high 7.1 rebounds.

Quick Hits

• Lipscomb is 2-0 in Allen Arena while Mercer is 0-4 on the road.
• Lipscomb’s 42.6 rebounds per game leads the Atlantic Sun and is the fourth highest average in the nation.
• Hodzic has scored in double figures in 62 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the nation.
• Jordan Burgason failed to hit a 3-pointer against UT Martin snapping his nation-leading streak of consecutive games with a longball at 41.
• The Atlantic Sun is the only conference where its top two rebounders (Hodzic 10 rpg & Slater 9.2 rpg) are teammates.
• Barnes' 25 points against UT Martin were the most by a Lipscomb freshman since Brian Fisk scored 26 vs. Campbell on Jan. 31, 2004.

 
Lipscomb Rankings Report

• RPI: 89 (2nd)
• Basketball State: 90 (3rd)
• Sagarin Rating:  94 (2nd)
• Strength of Schedule: 95