Bisons surprise Indiana with 74-69 win
Lipscomb Athletics |
Sanderson, Bisons featured on local call-in shows, sportscasts
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Put it in the book. It was a game for the ages. A 74-69 win over the Indiana Hoosiers in Assembly Hall.
“This was an opportunity and opportunities don’t come around very often,” Lipscomb head coach Scott Sanderson said. “We had an opportunity to beat a national storied program. There is no question that this is the biggest win in the school history.”
The impact of the win is also magnified by Lipscomb’s improbable comeback.
The Lipscomb University Bisons were down 21 points to the Hoosiers with 7:01 remaining in the first half. The Hoosiers had just finished a 21-0 run over 6:10.
Then the Bisons turned on their offensive and defensive jets. A 10-0 run cut Indiana’s lead to 11 and a minute later the Bisons went on an 18-0 run that covered the last two minutes of the first half and first four minutes of the second half.
“I can’t be prouder of the way our guys battled and came back,” Sanderson said. “It’s a great character win for our team, program, and university.”
Lipscomb’s two Indiana products – sophomores Michael Teller and Adnan Hodzic – controlled the game for the Bisons.
Teller scored 14 in the first half and went three-of-three from the three-point line. He also scored the first five points of the second half to close Indiana’s lead to five.
Teller’s 19 was a season high and also tied his career high.
At the half Hodzic stat line read four points and no rebounds.
Hodzic posted 15 points in the second half including final three field goals for Lipscomb. He also had five rebounds.
“He did a great job of stepping up for us down the stretch,” Sanderson said.
Senior Thomas Pfaff returned to the court after missing three games from an injury and immediately provided valuable minutes and defense.
“Thomas Pfaff comes in and gives us 13 minutes and five rebounds,” Sanderson said. “He gives another big body in there. We have missed him. We’ve been playing with only eight scholarship players the last four games and hopefully we can get him rested up this week going into conference play.”
Lipscomb’s post players held Indiana freshman big man Tom Pritchard to 12 points and two rebounds. He was averaging 16.4 points and 10.1 rebounds at home.
Lipscomb was down 44-34 at the half. It was the most the Bisons had allowed an opponent to score in the first half this year.
Lipscomb had only nine rebounds in the first half and allowed Indiana to shoot 62.1 percent.
The second half was drastically different for the Bisons grabbing 26 rebounds and holding Indiana to 36 percent shooting.
“When we outrebound them by 15 in the second half, only turn the ball over four times and hold them to nine field goals shooting 36 percent, your chances of winning go up greatly,” Sanderson said.
Sophomore forward Brandon Brown finished with 11 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Josh Slater finished with 11 points. Sophomore guard Jimmy Oden finished with nine points and was five-of-six at the free throw line.
“Jimmy Oden made some big free throws,” Sanderson said. “Josh Slater came in and made some big shots. Michael Teller made some big threes in the first half. It was a total team win. We’ve been battling and battling and I couldn’t be more proud of our guys.”
Teller paced the Bisons with four assists. Lusk and Oden each had three.
Lipscomb took a two point lead and never relinquished it after a layup by Hodzic with 2:21 remaining.
Hodzic connected on another layup on the next possession and Oden added two free throws with 19 seconds remaining to put the Bisons up six.
Indiana’s best three-point shooter Matt Roth connected with his only longball of the evening to cut the Bisons lead in half with 13 ticks left.
Oden sealed the game with two free throws with 11 seconds left.
“I can’t be any prouder of our guys,” Sanderson said. “They have been working and working and had not be rewarded for their work. They worked hard on both ends of the court and they deserved that win.”
Lipscomb was 27-of-53 for 50.9 percent from the field. Indiana was 27-of-54 for 50 percent.
The Bisons were 15-of-20 for 75 percent from the free throw line. Indiana was 8-of-16 for 50 percent.
Lipscomb returns to conference play Saturday in Allen Arena against Florida Gulf Coast. Game time is 4:15 p.m.
“Hopefully we can use this win to spearhead us into league play,” Sanderson said.