Matt Barker, Sports Information Director

BELLEVILLE, Ill. - The Freed-Hardeman Lion basketball team picked up their first win of the season Saturday night, as they used hot shooting to secure a 94-86 victory over conference foe Lindenwood University-Belleville on the road in Belleville, Ill.

The Lions (1-2, 1-1 AMC) had plenty of offense to go around, as they ended the night shooting 57 percent from the field and 53 percent from behind the arc to experience their best shooting performance of the season.

Senior Marcus Baldwin led the Lions on the attack, as he combined for 33 points, courtesy of a 5-for-6 shooting performance from behind the arc. Kortland Martin followed close behind with 16 points, including clutch free throws down the stretch to aid the Lions in securing the win. Simon Fransis rounded out the scoring for FHU with 11 points while Shamir Rolle pulled down seven rebounds in the win.

Lindenwood-Belleville (2-5, 0-2 AMC) also found success on the offensive end despite the loss, as they shot 53 percent from the field and 60 percent from behind the arc in the first half. However, the second half was a different story for the Lynx, as they shot 38 percent from the field and just 16 percent from three-point range in the loss.

Lindenwood-Belleville guard Martavian Payne led all scorers in the game with 39 points, highlighted by a 4-for-10 shooting performance from behind the arc and 7-for-10 clip from the stripe. Shakari Hawkins and Andrew Voss also reached double digits for the Lynx, as Hawkins combined for 21 points while Voss chipped in 13 points in the loss.

Both teams kept things tight to start the game, as the first half saw seven ties. However, Marcus Baldwin would change that in a hurry, as he led the Lions with 18 points in the first half to keep FHU in the drivers seat. The Lions held their largest lead of the half at the 41-29 mark with under six minutes to play in the opening stanza.

However, the Lynx would not go down without a fight, as they responded with a 13-2 run to pull within one point at the 43-42 mark with 3:45 remaining in the opening stanza. The Lions; however, would not let their lead slip away, as they out-shot the Lynx 9-2 to extend their lead to 52-44 entering the break.

The Lions continued their hot shooting in the second half, as they out-shot the Lynx 27-14 throughout the first 11 minutes of the frame to reach their largest lead of the game at the 79-58 mark. From there, the Lions stayed in control and held off a late comeback attempt by the Lynx to secure the 94-86 victory on the road.

With the win, the Lions move to 1-2 on the season and 1-1 in conference play. Lindenwood-Belleville falls to 2-5 on the season and 0-2 in AMC play with the loss.

UP NEXT: The Lions are back in action Tuesday, November 21st, as they make the trip to Campbellsville University for a 6:00 PM match-up in Campbellsville, Ky.