Matt Barker, Sports Information Director

HENDERSON, Tenn. - The No. 12 Freed-Hardeman Lady Lion basketball team will face a tough test at home tonight as they host No. 3 Columbia (Mo.) College in a 5:30 PM match-up at the Brewer Sports Center.

SETTING THE STAGE

FHU (20-6, 16-4 AMC) enters tonight's match-up coming off a 67-56 victory over Williams Baptist (Ark.) College (16-9, 11-9 AMC) on Tuesday. Taleeah Cross led all scorers in the match-up as she went 9-for-19 from the field and 3-for-4 from the behind the arc to reach her career-high performance. Freshman Sandrea Sylman and Kim Mallory also reached double figures in the contest as Sylman finished with 13 points while Mallory went 5-for-11 from the field and chipped in 12.

FHU shot 39.3 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three-point range compared to Williams Baptist College, who shot 38.9 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from three-point range.

The Lady Lions came out firing from the start as they opened the game with a 7-0 run to keep the Eagles on their heels. FHU shot 40 percent in the first quarter on 8-for-20 shooting and held the Eagles to just seven points to close the quarter with a 19-7 advantage.

The Lady Lions continued to manage the game well in the second half as they kept a near double-digit lead for the entire third quarter.

However, things would get interesting in the fourth quarter as WBC would make a late charge to close the gap to single digits. The Eagles, who entered the final quarter down 18, were able to erase a double-digit deficit and close the gap to eight at the 62-54 mark with under a minute to play. However, eight points would be the closest they would get as the Lady Lions would hit their free throws down the stretch to secure the 67-56 victory.

SCOUTING THE COUGARS

Columbia College (25-1, 19-1 AMC) enters tonight's match-up coming off a convincing 90-55 win over Missouri Baptist University (9-14, 8-12 AMC) on Saturday to pick up their 25th win of the season and 19th in conference play.

The Cougars are led by Senior forward Corri Hamilton, who averages 15 points per game and has shot an impressive 54.0 percent from the field so far this season. Hamilton also leads the team on the glass as she averages 7.50 rebounds per game. Kei-yana Pearson leads Columbia in assists as she dishes out 2.80 assists per game while Ashlee Marlatt leads the team in steals, averaging 2.23 per game.

As a team, the Cougars average 78.2 points per game while holding their opponents to just 54.8 points per game.

Tonight's game marks the seventh meeting between FHU and Columbia since the Lions joined the American Midwest Conference during the 2013-14 season. FHU leads the series 6-1. The last meeting between the two schools was earlier this season on January 7, 2016, where the Lady Lions were defeated 58-67 on the road in Columbia, Mo.

COVERAGE

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