Lions post impressive win over No. 12 Lee, 90-67

HENDERSON, Tenn. - It may or may not have been a statement game, but the Freed-Hardeman Lions should definitely turn some heads following a 90-67 win over No. 12 Lee (Tenn.) University on Saturday afternoon in front of a large Homecoming crowd.

The No. 23 Lions outscored Lee 40-20 in the second half, largely because the Flames' Jerel Blocker cooled off after a blistering first half that saw the senior score 20 points.

But while he and his teammates struggled from the field in the second half, the Lions didn't.

After shooting 65.5 percent in the first half, FHU stayed hot with high-percentage looks and connected on 50 percent of its shots after halftime while Lee - which shot 63.3 percent in the first - could manage just 27.3 percent in the second half.

That helped FHU to go on runs of 10-0 and 8-0 as the Lions turned a 50-47 halftime lead into a 71-54 lead with 12:21 to play. Lee would only get as close as 13 points the rest of the way.

It was a rare double-digit win in a series that has produced close games over the last few seasons. Three of the last four meetings before today went into overtime, and the other was a two-point game decided at the buzzer.

Freed-Hardeman got a huge game from Kyle Teichmann, who had 18 first-half points on his way to a career-high 29. Cedric Austin was the only other Lion in double figures with 15.

For the second straight game, FHU connected on double-digits in 3-pointers making 13-of-23 from behind the arc. Austin and Anthony Sampson each went 3-for-4.

The Lions will play their first road game of the season on Nov. 18 as they travel to William Carey (Miss.) University for a 6:00 PM tipoff.

Lions hang on to win season opener over Bryan College

The No. 23 Freed-Hardeman Lions held off an experience Bryan (Tenn.) College team in their season opener, starting the year off with a 64-58 win on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions got 29 points from their point guard combination of Anthony Sampson and Cedric Austin. Sampson tied his career high with 16 points while Austin, in his first game back after missing the 2009-10 season, contributed 13 off the bench. Both hit big shots in crucial moments and combined to go 5-for-6 from behind the arc.

FHU led for the majority of the game but couldn't quite put away Bryan (3-2), who stayed close by knocking down mid-range jumpers and playing an aggressive defensive style that resulted in 21 turnovers by Freed-Hardeman.

The Lions, though, canned 11 3-pointers, many of which seemed to come when Bryan was chipping away at the lead.

Freed-Hardeman heads to face Murray State (Ky.) University on Tuesday night in an exhibition contest. Last season, the Racers made a Cinderella run to the NCAA Sweet 16.