Courtesy of NavySports.com
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Garrison Mathews scored 22 of his game-high 27 points in the second half as the visiting Lipscomb Bisons (9-4) held off Navy (9-4), 73-64, in a non-conference men’s basketball game on Thursday evening at Alumni Hall. Navy saw its five-game winning streak come to an end.
The game was Navy’s final non-conference contest of the 2017-18 season and the Mids will next open Patriot League play at Loyola on Friday, December 29.
“Lipscomb is a very good basketball team,” said Navy head coach Ed DeChellis. “I really believe they would be an upper-level Patriot League team. I’m proud of our team. I thought we fought hard. We just didn’t play very smart basketball, very crisp basketball.”
Lipscomb took a 13-point lead early in the second half, but Navy rallied back with a 19-4 run to take a 51-49 lead on a Tom Lacey layup. The teams battled back-and-forth for the next several minutes, but Navy was called for four fouls in a 34-second span and Lipscomb took control of the game’s momentum at the free throw line. Thirteen of Lipscomb’s final 15 points over the game’s final five minutes were free throws, and the Bisons closed out the 73-64 win.
Lacey recorded his second double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds. The senior forward gave a gutsy performance while playing on a sprained ankle that was suffered at practice. He left the game with 1:48 remaining after reinjuring the ankle.
In addition to Lacey’s absence, key contributors Shawn Anderson, George Kiernan and Evan Wieck all fouled out in the final three minutes to hamper Navy’s comeback efforts. Entering Thursday’s contest, Navy had not had a player foul out of a game all season.
Navy senior guard Bryce Dulin scored a team-high 15 points on 7-of-13 shooting. He also had five rebounds. Junior guard Hasan Abdullah and Anderson both finished with nine points. Abdullah also tallied five assists and two steals, while Anderson recorded six rebounds and four assists.
Anderson now has 1,098 career points and moved past Tilman Dunbar ’16 for 21st place on Navy’s all-time scoring list. Anderson also moved past Michael Heary ’98 for 14th place on the school’s all-time assists list with 253.
Mathews was 8-of-11 from the floor and 8-of-9 at the free throw line for his 27 points. Teammate Rob Marberry also shot 8-of-11 from the field to finish with 19 points.
Dulin scored four-straight points early in the contest to give Navy a 13-10 lead, but Lipscomb’s Matt Rose came off the bench to sink three-straight 3-pointers to put the Bisons ahead, 21-13. Navy freshman guard Cam Davis stopped the run with a 3-pointer, and the Mids later went on a 9-0 run to take a 27-25 lead with 4:46 left in the first half.
Lipscomb countered right back with a 10-0 run and took a 37-29 lead into halftime.
The Bisons would take their 13-point lead three minutes into the second period, but Navy fought right back, getting five points from Kiernan and another 3-pointer from Davis during its run. Anderson scored a layup and then tied the game at 49-49 with two free throws. Mathews would hit two 3-pointers to put Lipscomb ahead by four, but Anderson, Lacey and Dulin scored on three-straight possessions to put the Mids ahead 58-56. However, that would be Navy’s final lead of the game.
Lipscomb closed the contest on a 17-6 run, with 13 of those points coming at the free throw line.
“I think the good thing about tonight is that we showed a lot of fight,” said Dulin. “They got up and we fought back, which is huge. At the same time, we can’t keep digging ourselves holes in the first half.
“We have to learn how to come out and play a 40-minute game. This will definitely prepare us for the Patriot League. We’re going to have a lot of close games in the conference. That’s just how it goes.”
Lipscomb was 16-of-20 at the free throw line in the second half and 19-of-26 for the entire game. Lipscomb outshot Navy from the field, 44 percent to 41 percent, while Navy outrebounded Lipscomb, 39-33.
Navy committed 17 turnovers in the game, which Lipscomb converted to 24 points.
Navy will open its 27th season of Patriot League basketball next Friday at Loyola (2-8). Navy was picked third in the Patriot League preseason poll, while the Greyhounds were picked sixth.
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