Despite leading for most of the first half, the Freed-Hardeman University Lady Lions dropped their Mid-South Conference meeting with the No. 1 Thomas More (Ky.) University Saints 67-60. The visiting Saints were 19-20 from the charity stripe to earn the victory.
After a pair of free throws put Thomas More on top at the start of the game, back-to-back 3-pointers from Rachel Satterly pushed Freed-Hardeman (10-3, 5-3 MSC) to a 6-2 lead. The Saints had trouble finding the hoop in the first quarter, making two field goals out of their 13 attempts. Those two field goals; however, were from beyond the arc to stay within two possessions. Madisyn Baugher’s layup with seven seconds remaining settled the first quarter with a 17-11 lead for the Lady Lions.
Thomas More (13-0, 8-0 MSC) finally settled into a rhythm in the second quarter, knocking down their first field goal try with a 3-pointer. KJ White kept FHU in the lead with four free throws and a jumper, while Baugher tallied six points in the quarter. TMU more than doubled their makes from the floor from the first to the second quarter, with a 3-pointer tying the game 26-26 at 4:55. After trading blows, it was Baugher’s free throw to send the Lady Lions to their locker room with a 31-30 lead.
The Saints began to work the ball into the paint in the third quarter, scoring eight points inside the key including a layup at 5:34 to reclaim the lead. The Lady Lions spread the ball around, with Elli Chumley’s jumper being followed by a set of 3-pointers from Satterly to tie the game at 41-41 with 3:16 remaining in the third. The Saints would end the quarter on a 4-0 run to help push them to a 50-45 lead going into the final 10 minutes.
Getting into foul trouble early in the fourth quarter proved to be the downfall for the Lady Lions. Coming into the game the Saints shot 77% from the free-throw line, but could not miss in the final quarter, making all eight attempts. FHU tried to hang with TMU with Raegan Purvine’s 3-pointers sandwiching Satterly’s long ball, but the damage from the charity stripe took its toll finalizing the score at 67-60.
Rachel Satterly’s double-double led all scorers with 20 points while pulling down a team-high 10 boards. Madisyn Baugher chased with a 13-point night, with KJ White’s 10 points coming on the heels of a 6-6 night at the free-throw line.
Up next – The Lady Lions will compete one more time in 2022 by hosting the Wilberforce (Ohio) University Bulldogs on Saturday, December 17. Tipoff from Henderson is set for 1 p. m.
