By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A jumper in the paint off a turnover with seven seconds to play lifted Lipscomb to a 64-63 win over the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team Wednesday evening in a battle between in-state rivals at Allen Arena in Nashville.
Up by one with just under 20 seconds to play, the Golden Eagles forced a turnover by the Bisons to take control of the ball on the sidelines in Lipscomb territory. The home squad had one foul to give and used it, resulting in a second inbounds play for the visiting purple and gold.
Rather than foul a second time, Lipscomb used its press to force a Tech turnover and Bisons star Will Pruitt drilled a jumper just inside his own free-throw line to put the home squad on top for good. Out of timeouts, the Golden Eagles rushed the ball up the floor and got two looks at a potential game-winning bucket before the clock struck zero to end the game.
The loss undermined a fantastic defensive effort by the Cookeville crew, which held a Lipscomb squad averaging just under 80 points a game and shooting 50 percent from the floor to just 64 points and 38 percent efficiency. The Bisons used its decisive advantage on the glass to edge, 48-35, to edge Tech in the defensive slugfest.
After trailing by one at the half, the Golden Eagles opened the largest lead of the game with just under 14 minutes to play at six. Neither scored more than six straight in the contest, a game that featured 10 lead changes and seven ties.
Golden Eagle forward Jaylen Sebree put up a career showing on the offensive side of the ball, piling up a game-high and personal-best 25 points on 10-for-17 shooting. The graduate transfer also hauled in a team-high eight rebounds.
Junior guard Jayvis Harvey also finished in double figures, tallying 13 points with a 2-for-3 night from beyond the arc. Fellow junior Erik Oliver chipped in seven points to the effort.
Lipscomb center Ahsan Asadullah posted a double-double with 21 points and 15 rebounds while Pruitt finished with 10 points. Derrin Boyd added 12 points to the mix.
Tech will return to the comfort of the Hooper Eblen Center for a Saturday afternoon showdown with Western Carolina. Tip is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. CT in the team's second-to-last contest before a brief holiday break.
File photo by Thomas Corhern