The Lipscomb Bison and the Bellarmine Knights meet in college basketball action from the Freedom Hall on Wednesday night.
The Lipscomb Bison will look to build on a 75-72 win over North Alabama last time out. Ahsan Asadullah has 15.2 PPG and 9 RPG in 21 games for Lipscomb so far this season while Jacob Ognacevic has 12.5 PPG with 4.5 RPG in 28 games to make up the scoring in double figures for Lipscomb so far this season. Greg Jones has 9.4 PPG while Parker Hazen has 8.8 PPG with 5.4 RPG and KJ Johnson has 6.8 PPG with a team-high 3.1 APG on the year. Will Pruitt has 9.6 PPG with 5.4 RPG and 2.7 APG as well for Lipscomb this year. As a team, Lipscomb is averaging 74.7 PPG on 46.2% shooting from the field, 35.3% from three and 72.8% from the foul line while allowing 78.5 PPG on 43.6% shooting from the field and 37.6% from three this season.
The Bellarmine Knights will try to rebound from an 82-67 loss to Jacksonville State last time out. Dylan Penn leads the Knights in scoring and assists with 16.5 PPG and 5 APG along with 4.2 RPG while CJ Fleming has 15.2 PPG with 3.2 RPG as the only other double-digit scorer for Bellarmine up to this point in the year. Juston Betz also has a team-high 7 RPG to lead the Knights on the glass this season. As a team, Bellarmine is averaging 70.3 PPG on 47.4% shooting from the field, 33.2% from three and 75.1% from the foul line while allowing 67.2 PPG on 43.8% shooting from three and 33.6% from three this season.
Lipscomb is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games following an ATS win and 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a win while the over is 8-2 in their last 10 road games against a team with a home winning percentage above .600. Bellarmine is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games and 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 games following an ATS loss while the over is 4-1 in their last 5 games overall.
I get the case to be made either way here, as this line feels about right. However, defense has been an issue for Lipscomb more than it has been for Bellarmine this season and this just feels like a spot where Bellarmine eventually pulls away late, whether it’s at the free throw line or not, and win this one by 7 or 8 points. Not a game I’m rushing to bet, but I’d side with the Knights laying the points at home here.