Matt Barker, Sports Information Director

HENDERSON, Tenn. - The No. 9 Freed-Hardeman Lion basketball team will look to pick up their seventh win of the season tonight as they pay a visit to Blue Mountain (Miss.) College to face the Toppers in a 7:00 PM match up in Blue Mountain, Miss.

SETTING THE STAGE

FHU (6-1, 2-0 AMC) enters Tuesday's match up off a convincing 77-61 victory over Cumberland (Tenn.) University on Tuesday, November 24. The Lions were fairly even with Cumberland on the offensive end in the first half and would go back and forth with the Bulldogs to start the game. However, FHU would pick up the pace in the second half as they shot an impressive 49 percent and would open the half on a 27-10 run. Eight different players would score for the Lions in the rally including six points from Isaiah Harrison and five points each from Trevor Randolph and Austin Dempsey.

Orlando Bass led the Lions in total offense with 24 points and seven rebounds. Fitzgerald Hopkins also contributed on the offensive end with 10 points, eight of which came in the first half. Evan Forhetz, the reigning assist leader in the NAIA, lived up to his reputation and had 8 points and seven assists in the contest. Joseph Williams continued his dominance on the defensive end and had three blocks while Isaiah Harrison added two blocks of his own and put up eight points in the victory.

The Lions forced 16 turnovers on the Bulldogs in the contest while FHU turned the ball over just six times throughout the game. The Lions also had an impressive 11 steals in the contest, led by Forhetz with three.

Blue Mountain College (1-7, 0-2 SSAC) is coming into tonight's match up off a 73-76 overtime loss at Fisk (Tenn.) University on Tuesday, November 24. Sophomore Chase Brittingham led the Toppers in total offense as he put up 17 points and pulled down five rebounds in the contest. Denio Chirindza also contributed on the offensive end with 14 points and seven rebounds while Conner Helvig and Justin McClellon followed close behind with 13 points each.

Blue Mountain played well early in the contest as they took a 31-26 lead into the half. However, Fisk would come out firing in the second half and would make up the five point deficit to tie the game up at 64 apiece to force overtime. Both teams would continue to go back and forth in the overtime period until Fisk would gain a three point advantage, which would be all the cushion they needed to hand Blue Mountain their seventh loss of the season.

INSIDE THE SERIES

The last time FHU faced Blue Mountain College was on February 21, 2013 as the Lions came away with a convincing 70-48 victory at Blue Mountain, Miss to pick up their twelfth win of the season. The Toppers got off to a quick start in the match up as they took a 9-4 lead just four minutes into the game; however, FHU would outscore Blue Mountain 38-19 for the remainder of the half as they made 13 of their last 18 shots.

The 14-point halftime lead quickly turned into a 20-point lead early in the second half after the Lions connected on two consecutive three-point field goals from Mark Brown and Ben Meis. Freed-Hardeman's defense also stepped up big in the second half as they limited the Toppers to just 20 points. Mark Brown led all scorers with 18 points on the strength of four 3-pointers. Daniel Gravatt added a season-high 16 points as the Lions shot 56.3 percent from the floor and made 9-of-15 from behind the arc.

The Lions faced Blue Mountain College twice during the 2012-13 season and defeated the Toppers on both occasions as FHU came away with a 62-54 win at home in the first match up on January 31, 2013. Ben Meis led the Lions in total offense with 17 points as he shot 4 of 8 from behind the arc. Reginald Gilmore also contributed on the offensive end as he put up 13 points and pulled down seven rebounds in the contest. The Lions shot 49 percent from the field as they picked up their tenth win of the season.

The Lions enter Monday's match up on a six game winning streak and will look to continue their strong play as they face non-conference opponent Blue Mountain College tonight in a 7:00 PM match up in Blue Mountain, Miss.

COVERAGE

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