By Dustin Semore
FHU Information Director
On an exultant Saturday at the Brewer Sports Center, the No. 8 Freed-Hardeman University Lions celebrated seniors Hunter Scurlock, Grigorii Sibilev, and Coach Drew Stutts’ 100th career win before matching up with Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) College. With the 97-67 victory, FHU finished as co-champions of the Mid-South Conference regular season, sharing the title with the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) Patriots.
The game could not have started better for the Lions (24-4, 10-2 MSC), who exploded on an 18-point run before the guests put points on the board. In the middle of that run Ryley McClaran tallied two 3-pointers while Peyton Law slammed home the 18th point to give FHU an 18-0 lead with 15:53 remaining in the first half. Phil Horton and Sam Powell would tack on 3-pointers down the stretch of the half. FHU would go on a pair of 7-0 runs to extend their lead to 19 points with Law’s dunk at 1:08. With LWC scoring five late points, the Lions held a 43-29 lead at the break.
FHU kept the throttle wide open to start the second half when Quan Lax’s 3-pointer was followed up by a dunk from Scurlock put the Lions’ lead over the Blue Raiders (15-12, 6-6 MSC) at 18 points. Geraldo Lane would score five quick points – four of which came from the charity stripe. Horton’s dunk at 11:55 began an eight-point run for the Lions that ended with FHU leading 73-42 with 10:53 remaining in the regular season. Horton turned up the heat late, scoring 11 straight points before Sibilev ended the day with a layup to settle the score at 97-65.
The Lions shot 52% from the floor including going 11-26 from beyond the arc. FHU swiped away 23 steals – the most since a 21-steal effort in a victory in 2008.
History was made in the Brewer Sports Center with the regular season with the Lions ending their season with a 52.7% mark from the floor, breaking the single-season record set by the 1982-83 team’s 52.5% mark. Geraldo Lane also etched his name into the history books, with his season’s 67.8% shooting he broke FHU Hall-of-Famer Tomas Oreansky’s 66.3% record set in the 2002-03 season.
Phil Horton led the Lions with 20 points while Quan Lax followed with 18 points. Ryley McClaran chipped in with 13 points with Peyton Law wrapping up the double-digit scoring with 12 points. Hunter Scurlock and JJ Wheat each grabbed five rebounds. Chase Fiddler had a team-high in both steals and assists with six each.
Up Next – With the fourth tiebreaker, the Lions clinched the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Mid-South Conference tournament where they have received a bye into the semifinal round. FHU awaits the winner between the No. 4 seed Blue Raiders and the No. 5-seeded Campbellsville (Ky.) University Tigers on Sunday, March 3 at 5 p.m.
