JACKSON, Tenn. - The No. 5 McKendree (Ill.) Bearcats used a 16-3 run late in the second half to pull away from the No. 18 Freed-Hardeman Lions, 74-63, on Saturday afternoon at the Union University Thanksgiving Classic.
It was the third ranked opponent that FHU faced this week. The Lions (7-2) defeated No. 13 Lee (Tenn.) University on Monday and No. 23 Life (Ga.) College on Friday before falling in today's game.
One night after shooting 65 percent from the field Freed-Hardeman managed to convert on only 33.8 percent (24-of-71) of its shots, including a 2-for-15 performance from beyond the arc.
Trailing for much of the game, FHU finally pulled ahead on a traditional 3-point play by Vince Barnes to lead 48-47 with 8:19 to play. The Lions still held a one-point lead (51-50) at the 7:26 mark, but McKendree's Ian Ridge hit a 3-pointer to put the Bearcats on top for good. Freed-Hardeman missed 10 of its next 12 shots from the field following Ridge's 3-pointer, allowing McKendree to pull away in the game's final minutes.
Zack Frey led the Lions with 22 points and 12 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Ken Bingham was the only other Lion to reach double digits, scoring 13 points.
Freed-Hardeman return to the floor on Monday as they travel to face NCAA Division I opponent Austin Peay State (Tenn.) University in an exhibition at 7:00 PM.
Click here for box score.
