By Nate Perry, TTU Sports Information
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Head coach Kim Rosamond has used the words "growth" and "process" countless times to describe the journey of her Tennessee Tech women's basketball program, and on Friday afternoon at Lipscomb, her team can reach a tangible checkpoint in its improvement.
In what will be their 10th game of the season, the Golden Eagles can register their seventh victory, which will equal the total accumulated by the 2017-18 squad.
With its young core now carrying a year of experience, Tech has also been noticeably better away from home this season. A win on Friday would be the team's third in a true road environment this year, which would match the previous high in Rosamond's tenure (three in 2016-17).
The Golden Eagles were last in action on Tuesday morning, when they took down a scrappy UNC Asheville team thanks to a spectacular defensive effort in the first half. Tech held UNCA to a season-best 15 points over the first 20 minutes, and a meager 23.3 percent from the field.
Excellent free throw shooting helped TTU stave off Asheville's furious rally in the second half, as the home team made 16-of-20 from the charity stripe after halftime, and 21-of-25 for the game (84 percent).
Here's a look at the Lipscomb Bisons, who are led by seventh-year head coach Greg Brown.
LIPSCOMB PROFILE
Lipscomb plays in the Atlantic Sun Conference (often stylized as A-SUN), where it has compiled a 79-184 record over 15 seasons.
In the 2003-04 season, Lipscomb's first in the A-SUN, it clinched a share of the regular-season title when it tied three other teams with a 14-6 mark in league play.
Led by 2017-18 A-SUN Player of the Year Loren Cagle (17.2 points per game), the Bisons took a 7-7 record in the conference and a 12-19 overall record a season ago.
The nonconference portion of the season has not been kind to Coach Brown's team, as the Bisons are 2-9, and are marred in an eight-game losing streak after a 2-1 start.
Sophomore guard Taylor Clark leads Lipscomb in points per game (11.4), and has shown a terrific shooting touch from the field (.415), from behind the three-point line (.400), and from the free throw line (.806.)
Clark is also the leading rebounder (4.6 pg) on a team that grabs just 31 boards per contest while giving up 41.2.
Junior guard Lauren Rau paces the team in assists (2.9) and steals (1.9) per game, while chipping in 8.5 points per tilt as the team's third leading scorer.
Lipscomb is an excellent free-throw shooting team (.746), as three players make more than 80 percent of their attempts. LU is the only member of the A-SUN currently shooting better than 70 percent as a unit.
While they give up more than 70 points per game, the Bisons are very active defensively, having collected a league-best 102 steals on the season.
SERIES NOTES
This will be the ninth meeting between the Tennessee Tech and Lipscomb women's basketball programs, with the teams having split the first eight chapters in the series.
The Golden Eagles recorded wins in each of the first three matchups from 2008 to 2010, with two of them coming by double-digit margins inside LU's Allen Arena.
Lipscomb won the fourth encounter in 2011, a 66-61 decision in Cookeville. The Bisons would follow that up with another victory in Nashville in 2014, following a two-year break in the series.
TTU was victorious in the next renewal, scoring an 81-70 victory in the Eblen Center. Former Tech star Samaria Howard poured in 31 points in that contest, which led four players in double figures.
The next meeting would be Tech's first in the Kim Rosamond era, and ended in a heartbreaking 71-69 overtime loss. Yaktavia Hickson netted 24 points in that game, while current Golden Eagle Anacia Wilkinson came off the bench to score eight points, grab eight rebounds, and block two shots.
Lipscomb evened the series last year with a 61-57 victory in Cookeville. Jordan Brock was Tech's second leading scorer, as she had 12 points in 22 minutes off the bench. Kesha Brady and Mackenzie Coleman were both part of the starting five, and scored 11 points and eight points, respectively.
LIVE STATS/BROADCAST INFORMATION
Live Stats
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Photo by Thomas Corhern
