The No. 6 Freed-Hardeman University Lions and the No. 8 University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) combined for 65 free throw attempts in Saturday’s top-10 meeting. Cumberlands went 24-28 to go 86% from the line while the Lions’ 25-37 night ended at 68% in FHU’s loss to UC 91-84.
Ryley McClaran got the scoring rolling for FHU (20-4, 7-2 MSC) by scoring six points within the first three minutes of tipoff. Quan Lax connected for a layup at 14:03 to give FHU their largest lead at 14-6. Unfortunately for the men in maroon, the Cumberlands Patriots would stampede on a 10-0 run to put the home team up 16-14. Peyton Law joined Lax with 3-pointers to keep the Lions either tied or on top, but cout never extend from the Patriots. UC would take a seven-point lead at 6:24, but Devin Tomlinson’s free throw began a run that ended with JJ Wheat tying the game 32-32 with a free throw at 3:57. When the horn sounded to end the first half, Cumberlands held on to a 41-36 lead.
In the first half, FHU and UC (21-2, 7-1 MSC) combined for 20 free throw attempts, meaning the remaining 45 free throws came in the second half. McClaran and Wheat successfully hit layups to start the second half, before Peyton Law joined with a layup at 10:02. The Lions drove into the paint during the second half, with the only made 3-pointer coming from the hands of Wheat at 3:51. The Lions could not bunch points together fast enough before the buzzer finished the 91-84 Lion loss.
The Lions shot 46% from the floor while the Patriots finished at 53%.
JJ Wheat paced FHU’s shooting, bucketing 27 points, followed closely by Quan Lax’s 16-point effort. Peyton Law was the only other Lion in double figures with 10 points. Hunter Scurlock helped his offense with six assists.
Up Next – The Lions travel to Lebanon, Tennessee, where they will be hosted by the Cumberland University Phoenix on Thursday, February 15, with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
