How Lipscomb Can Win

Last night's overtime win at Campbell provides a textbook example of how Lipscomb can do well in the A-Sun this year.

1 -- Play good defense. Lipscomb is the best defensive team in a very offense-oriented league. They were the only team to allow less than 1.0 points per possession in the pre-conference schedule. The league average was 1.03. In terms of PEP-allowed, Lipscomb had a 1.01 rating in a conference that allowed 1.16. While Campbell actually shot better against Lipscomb than they did against their pre-conference opponents, they were 1-for-13 in the last 5 mintues of regulation and overtime. Lipscomb wins with defense. In an offense-minded league, that's a formula for success.

2 -- Play their pace. Lipscomb plays the second-slowest tempo of any team in the A-Sun, fully 2 possessions slower per 40 minutes than the conference average. Last night they played 75 possessions in 45 minutes, taking Campbell completely out of their up-tempo game, second-fastest in the league.

3 -- Get production from LaKory Daniels. The year they went to the finals of the conference tournament, LaKory Daniels emerged as a viable threat, making second-team all-tournament. Other than that weekend, Daniels has been largely invisible. Until last night. Eddie Ard and Brandon Brown are the best players Lipscomb has, but to be successful they need someone else out there to force the opposition to defend three threats instead of two. With all due respect to Michael Lusk and Jason Hopkins, Daniels is the best option to be that third guy.

Oh, and Eddie Ard had 35, including a tying 3-ball at the buzzer. Good stuff.

All this said, the key to success in the Atlantic Sun is how you play in March. To win in the conference tournament, you have to be able to play three solid games in four days. That means depth. Last night does give Lipscomb one concern -- only 6 players played 12 or more minutes. To win in March, Lipscomb is going to need quality minutes from somebody off the bench (Adnan Hozdic, Jimmy Oden, Devon Seaford, etc.)

All in all, a good win. Let's see if they can keep it going.