Get To Know The Opponent: Lipscomb Bisons

The Cyclones head into the NCAA Tournament Friday after being selected as the No. 3 seed in the South Region. Their opponent is the No. 14 seed Lipscomb Bisons out of the Atlantic Sun Conference, finishing with a 25-9 record, 14-4 in conference play. They went on to become the regular season and tournament champions to earn them a bid.

The Bisons and Cyclones have met just once before in their respective school history. This came in 2011 in Hilton Coliseum, where the Cyclones won 81-64 with the help of 24 points from Scott Christopherson. Bisons guard Jordan Burgason, Ames native, put up 30 points in the losing effort. He still holds the Hilton record for opposing 3-pointers made in a game with nine.

The Bisons Rank:

• 84th in NET, 83rd in KenPom

• 75th in offensive rating, 100th in defensive rating

• 52nd in points at 79.3 points per game, 51st in points allowed at 67.3 points per game

  • Cyclones are 36th, 63rd

• 49th in field goals at 47%, 36th in 3-point attempts at 27.5 per game

  • Cyclones are 33rd, 264th

The Bisons look to play just their third quad one game of the year against the Cyclones. The first two ending in losses early in the season to Arkansas (60-76), and Kentucky (68-97).

Who To Watch For:

The Bisons high octane offense is led by senior forward Jacob Ognacevic. The Sheboygan, WI native earned A-Sun Player of the Year while averaging 20.1 points per game, which ranks him 17th in the nation. He has posted 20-plus points in 19 games this season, including five 30-plus point games. Starting all 34 games for the Bisons, he shot 57% from the field and 40% from three. This is certainly someone the Cyclones will have to contain when it comes to the Lipscomb offense.

The Bisons next three leading scorers come from senior guards Will Pruitt (13.2), Joe Anderson (12.5), and Gyasi Powell (11.6). The Cyclones will have to take advantage in the paint with the Bisons heavy reliance on the perimeter and guard play. With four seniors leading the charge, they come in with proven experience and shooting prowess. However, this will be just the second ever tournament appearance for Lipscomb.

The Cyclones now gear up for a tough challenge Friday against the Bisons as they look to move into the round of 32 for the second time in three years.