HENDERSON, Tenn. - No matter the circumstances, Freed-Hardeman/Union basketball games always have a certain flavor to them.

But as the men's and women's teams travel to Jackson tonight to take on one of their biggest rivals, there is quite a bit on the line for both.

The No. 7 Lady Lions (22-5, 12-3) need a win in order to keep a one-game cushion over Lambuth University (Tenn.) for second place in the TranSouth Conference standings. Should FHU and Lambuth end up tied, FHU would hold the tiebreaker and still host through the semifinals in the conference tournament.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for the Lady Lions tonight will be taking on the nation's No. 1 team without sophomore guard Kristal Edney, who is out for the remainder of the season after sustaining an injury last week. Edney was huge in the first meeting between the schools, hitting 7-of-8 three-pointers and leading all scorers with 25 points. Sophomore Tara Deatheridge and freshman Whitney Johnson did an outstanding job of picking up the slack in Saturday's 72-63 win over Bethel and will need similar production on both ends of the floor against the Lady Bulldogs.

The stakes are even higher for the Lions (17-8, 9-7), who enter the game in fifth place in the conference standings with a half-game lead over Crichton College (Tenn.) and a 1.5 game lead over Union. That might not seem like a big deal, but FHU's position in the conference has an effect on its position in the national poll and subsequently on the possibility of receiving an at-large bid to the national tournament.

The Lions received 10 votes in Wednesday's poll, putting them tied for 33rd in the nation and firmly on "the bubble." Freed-Hardeman made its only appearance in the NAIA national tournament in 1998.

The women's game is schedule to tip off at 6:00 PM, followed by the men's game at 8:00 PM.