(ASUN Conference photo)
Caldwell County grad Eli Pepper had 10 points and seven rebounds as Lipscomb advanced to the championship game of the ASUN Conference tournament.
The former Tiger standout and his Bisons teammates will host Liberty at 2 p.m. Sunday on ESPN for the conference championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Top-seeded Lipscomb, the defending tourney champion, defeated NJIT 78-55 Thursday night in Nashville.
The Bisons (25-6) led the Highlanders (21-12) by 11 points, 48-37, at the end of the first half, then put the defensive clamps on NJIT after the break, allowing just 18 points.
An 11-0 Lipscomb run to finish the game sealed the semifinal victory for the Bisons.
Pepper, a senior, now has 904 career points and 981 career rebounds at Lipscomb.
Meanwhile, No. 2 seed Liberty knocked off North Florida 71-63 in Lynchburg, Va.
Lipscomb and Liberty split during the regular season.
The Bisons defeated Florida Gulf Coast for the ASUN tourney title last year before bowing to North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
