Bisons win ASUN championship, punch ticket to second NCAA tournament
The Bisons will learn its first-round opponent during the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday, March 16, at 5 p.m. CT on CBS.
Kim Chaudoin |
Inside a packed Allen Arena on Sunday afternoon, the No. 1 seed Lipscomb men's basketball team secured its second Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Championship, defeating No. 2 seed North Alabama 76-65 to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The victory marks Lipscomb’s second trip to the NCAA tournament, the first since 2018.
In front of an energetic crowd filled with fans of both universities, the Bisons pulled away in the final three and a half minutes, fueled by a dominant second-half performance from senior guard Joe Anderson. Anderson, named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, scored 18 of his game-high 23 points after halftime, knocking down all five of his second-half shots, including a crucial four-point play that swung momentum in Lipscomb’s favor late in the game.
“This means so much,” Anderson said. “Getting to go back to the NCAA Tournament is special, and the atmosphere in Allen Arena tonight played a huge role. I have to give credit to the Lippy Lunatics — the people who help support us off the court are amazing. We wouldn’t have won that Queens game (ASUN semifinal that the Bisons won in overtime) without them, and we didn’t win this one without them.”
Senior Will Pruitt, who finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, and a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line, echoed Anderson’s sentiments about Lipscomb fans.
“We have an unbelievable crowd and unbelievable fans,” Pruitt said. “Like Joe said, we don’t win that Queens game without them. This means the world to this team, to Lipscomb, and to all of Nashville.”
Lipscomb led 35-29 at halftime, but North Alabama clawed back early in the second half, tying the game at 41 with 15:10 remaining. The two teams traded leads several times before Powell’s deep three-pointer at the 4:13 mark gave Lipscomb the lead for good. The Bisons closed the game on an 18-7 run, securing the championship.
“Today, Lipscomb University won. That is as good as an environment that we have played in. This was good for the ASUN conference. That was a high-level basketball game that we just played in. And we beat a really, really good team,” said Head Coach Lennie Acuff, who has led the Bisons since April 2019. “I have a ton of respect for North Alabama. What Tony has done there is incredible.”
“If you guys knew the character of the young mean in Lipscomb's locker room. Playing at this level is a really, really hard deal. But that's what makes it so good,” he continued. “I told the team today that you have to embrace the hard things in life. I'm thrilled for this win, and I'm not going to act like I'm not, but I promise you that I'm at lot happier for those kids and I'm a lot happier for this university."
Acuff, who was named ASUN Coach of the Year and is a finalist for the 2024-25 Hugh Durham award, reflected on the journey to this significant moment in his career.
“I cannot tell you how thankful I am,” Acuff said. “You always dream of having a chance to coach at a Division I program, and I am grateful to our athletic director and administration for giving me that chance. Good players win games. Good administrations win championships. That’s the reality. God has been so good to me and to my family. I'm a blessed man.”
“I have a great staff and have been blessed. I'm just really fortunate to have a lot of really good people around me, and I'm sitting here because of them, and because of my wife and our family and the sacrifices they make.”
Acuff credited the leadership of his veteran players and the collective determination of his team.
“You have to embrace the hard things in life,” he said. “I told our guys today that this was going to be tough, but they ran right to the fight. They stuck with Lipscomb, they worked, and they believed in what we’re building. I couldn’t be happier for them and for this university.”
North Alabama head coach Tony Pujol praised both teams for their efforts in the title game.
“I have an enormous amount of respect for Coach Acuff, his staff, and his players,” Pujol said. “Tonight, you saw two teams who desperately wanted to win a championship. I’m very proud of my guys for the way they competed and fought their way back.”
In addition to Anderson and Pruitt, Gyasi Powell and Jacob Ognacevic played key roles in the victory. Powell, who scored 11 of his 16 points in the first half, drilled the go-ahead three-pointer late in the second half. Ognacevic added 14 points and nine rebounds. Both Pruitt and Ognacevic were named to the All-Tournament team.
Anderson, who transferred to Lipscomb two years ago from Furman, brings NCAA Tournament experience after helping his former team pull off a first-round upset against Virginia in 2023. He believes the Bisons are well-prepared for the challenges ahead.
“We’ve played tough early-season games against teams like Kentucky and Arkansas to get us ready for moments like this,” Pruitt said.
Both Anderson and Pruitt have high praise for their coach and the support staff for preparing them for this moment.
“We have a great coach. He is coach of the year and he deserves it. He has poured so much confidence into us while also making us aware that we are going to get everyone's best shot every game,” said Anderson, of Maryville, Tennessee. “We have the best supporting staff — like the guys behind-the-scenes who do film and help us get ready for the great are incredible. Will Ness our trainer is grrat. Our strength and conditioning trainer JT is incredible. There are a lot of people in the background who are putting a lot into getting us ready for these games."
Pruitt, from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, who has been a member of the Bisons for five years, agrees on Acuff’s impact on the team.
“I'm so thankful for Coach Acuff and for the sacrifices he has made for this team day in and day out. He doesn't get enough praise. He is such a humble guy. I'm so thankful to win this championship,” he said. “I remember five years ago when I was deciding where to go to college. I was just praying about it - and as I have said before, the decision to come to Lipscomb was not a four-year decision. It was a 40-year decision that will impact my life for many years to come. It means so much."
Lipscomb was the pre-season favorite to win the ASUN conference. In 2018, the Bisons defeated Florida Gulf Coast University on the road in the ASUN tournament championship game to earn its first trip to the NCAA tournament. The following year, Lipscomb received a bid to the National Invitation Tournament. They earned a trip to the NIT championship game in Madison Square Garden in 2019 by defeating Wichita State in the semifinals. They lost to Texas in the finals.
Lipscomb will have two days off before beginning preparation for the NCAA tournament. The Bisons will learn its first-round opponent during the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday, March 16, at 5 p.m. CT on CBS.
Regardless of the matchup, Acuff is confident in his team’s ability to compete on the national stage.
“We have a chance to get even better,” Acuff said. “This is a special group, and we’re going to make the most of this opportunity.”