Matt Barker, Sports Information Director

HENDERSON, Tenn. - The Freed-Hardeman Lion basketball team opened the regular season Saturday afternoon in a Homecoming match-up against Cumberland University and despite leading for a majority of the game, they came up just short with a 69-62 loss at the Brewer Sports Center.

Despite the loss, the Lions (0-1) received solid contribution from a plethora of players including Freshman John Musselwhite, who led the charge with 12 points, including a 2-for-6 clip from behind the arc.

Senior leader Marcus Baldwin also came up big for the Lions, as he put up a double-double (11 points and 11 rebounds) to give FHU all the momentum early on. Junior transfer Shamir Rolle came up big for the Lions on the defensive side of the floor, as he contributed three blocks in the loss.

Diondrey Holt, Jr. led Cumberland (3-2) on the offensive end with 18 points after shooting 7-for-20 from the field and 4-for-7 from the stripe. Three other Phoenix players reached double digits in the match-up including Juandrico Walker, who contributed 12 points while Blake Johnson and Will Shelton each chipped in 10 points in the win.

The Lions shot 50 percent from the field in the first half, but struggled in the second half, shooting just a 25 percent clip from the field. Cumberland University, on the other hand, shot 33 percent from the field in the first half and followed it up with 34 percent shooting in the second half.

The Lions started the game hot in the opening minutes, as they jumped out to an early 9-0 lead and did not allow Cumberland to score in the opening four minutes of the game. However, nine points would be the largest lead FHU would have, as the Phoenix kept things close for the remainder of the half.

The second half; however, would be a much different story, as the Lions struggled to get shots to fall and mustered just 25 percent shooting from the field. Despite the Phoenix trailing for a majority of the game, they led when it mattered, as they took a 59-58 lead with 4:18 remaining. From there, Cumberland would not relinquish their lead, as they came away with the 69-62 victory.

With the loss, the Lions fall to 0-1 on the season. Cumberland University improves to 3-2 on the season with the win.

UP NEXT: The Lions are back in action Thursday, November 16, as they open conference play on the road at Harris-Stowe State University. Game time is slated for 7:30 PM in St. Louis, Mo.