Box Score HENDERSON, Tenn. - The Freed-Hardeman Lions have a tall task in their 2011-12 season home opener today as they face off against 13th-ranked Tougaloo (Miss.) College in the Brewer Sports Center at 4:00 PM.

The Bulldogs (0-1) are winners of four straight over the Lions and threaten to end FHU's streak of six consecutive home-opener victories under seventh-year head coach Jason Shelton.

Tougaloo lost in the Brewer Sports Center yesterday to No. 5 Martin Methodist (Tenn.) College, 104-96, in a rematch of last season's NAIA Sweet 16 game that was also won by MMC.

For the third year in a row in 2011, the Freed-Hardeman University Lions came within a game of winning the program's first-ever conference championship. In fact, last year the Lions came within just a few seconds of it.

FHU advanced to the conference championship for the third consecutive season but lost to Martin Methodist on a last-second 3-pointer. However, the Lions earned their second trip in the last three seasons to the NAIA National Tournament, where they lead No. 8 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) University for most of the game before falling behind late.

The Lions will look to get over that hump this season to win their first conference championship and earn their first win at the NAIA National Tournament.

Leading the offense will be third-team All-American Kyle Teichmann, who averaged 20 points and eight rebounds per game last season. He was the only sophomore among the 30 players selected to the All-American squads.

Anthony Sampson is the only other returning starter. The 5-foot-3 point guard is a crowd favorite no matter where he plays due to his size and exciting style of play. Last season, he averaged seven points and five assists per game.

Juniors Jonathan Milewski and Michael Young and sophomores Daniel Gravatt and Reggie Gilmore all return after playing key reserve roles last season. Young is a hard-nosed player who provides an instant spark off the bench while Milewski is a dangerous threat from 3-point range. The 6-foot-7 Gravatt is versatile enough to play in the post and on the perimeter; his athletic ability gives him a chance to be an impact player as he develops. Gilmore improved significantly during his freshman season and should give the Lions solid rebounding and defense at the four spot.

Several freshmen will be relied upon to contribute right away starting with redshirt freshmen Chandler Mack, Vincent Dotson and Ben Meis. A long and athletic three-man, Mack is a player with tremendous upside that could prove to be a major key to FHU's success. Dotson, a 6-foot-5 post, is an adept shot-blocker and worked hard to improve his offensive repertoire during his redshirt season. Meis will give the Lions another threat from behind the arc.

True freshmen Orlando Bass, Mark Brown and Debrell McLemore will also be needed to fill valuable minutes. Bass is a lockdown defender while Brown has been a pleasant surprise in the pre-season as a scorer and defender. McLemore gives the Lions depth at point guard behind Sampson.

Sophomore transfer Verkeneo Mann (Decatur, Ala.; Tennessee State Univ.) will join the lineup in January and should make an immediate impact with his athleticism and scoring ability.

The Lions' non-conference schedule will be a challenging one with six games against teams that played in the NAIA National Tournament last season.