HENDERSON, Tenn. - On homecoming Saturday at Freed-Hardeman University, the Lion basketball team led the No. 4 ranked team in the NAIA for nearly 34 minutes.
Unfortunately, the last minute of the game was not one of them.
The Lions fell to Lee (Tenn.) University, 73-65, in front of a large homecoming crowd in the FHU Sports Center. Freed-Hardeman now stands at 2-2 on the season while Lee improves to 4-0.
Freed-Hardeman took a 5-4 lead on the first of four three-pointers by Logan Greer and held it for the rest of the first half, leading by as many as 14 points (29-15) with 9:00 to go in the half after an 11-0 run and carried a 44-35 lead into halftime. FHU shot lights-out in the first half, converting on 10-of-15 from three-point range and shooting 51.7 percent from the field.
But as hot as the Lions were in the first half, they were equally cold in the second half.
FHU's only points in the first seven minutes came on a three-pointer by Jesse Moulton and a free throw from Tyler Jennings as the Flames pulled within one point. As the Lions continued to struggle from the field, Lee finally took its first lead since the first minute of the game with 6:00 to play on a pair of free throws by Harold Griffin.
From that point on, the Flames would not trail again though the Lions tied the game at 67-all with just under 2:22 left in the game on a running floater from Greer. Unfortunately, that would also be the last basket for the Lions as Lee finished by scoring eight unanswered points.
The Lions were led in scoring by Greer, Moulton, and Zack Frey, each of whom scored 14 points. Kristoffer Smith pulled down a team-high eight rebounds for the Lions.
Notes: The all-time series between the two schools is tied at 12 wins apiece...Lee's roster features four NCAA Division I transfers: Nate Minnoy (Purdue/Central Michigan), Paco Diaw (Georgia Tech), Stephen McClellan (UT Chattanooga), and Chad James (Miami OH)...Shun Trevillian had eight assists, his highest single-game total since he dished out 11 in a game during his freshman season.
