Matt Barker, Sports Information Director

HENDERSON, Tenn. - The Freed-Hardeman Lion basketball team battled the entire way Saturday afternoon, but in the end they came up just short as they suffered their eighth loss of the season at the hands of William Woods University at the Brewer Sports Center.

Despite the loss, the Lions (3-8, 1-4 AMC) continued to receive solid contribution from Marcus Baldwin, who ended the night with 20 points after going 7-for-10 from the field. For the season, Baldwin has reached double figures in 10 of 11 contests and has reached the 20 point milestone in six games. Freshman Kortland Martin also put in solid minutes on both sides of the floor for FHU, as he ended the night with nine points while James Davis chipped in eight points in the loss.

The Lions shot 40 percent from the field and 25 percent from behind the arc compared to William Woods (6-7, 3-2 AMC) who shot 37 percent from the field and 32 percent from three-point range in the win. Brandon Vice led the Owls on the attack with 19 points after going 6-for-13 from the field and 2-for-7 from behind the arc. Darrien Dickey and Shad Kimble also reached double figures for William Woods, as Dickey ended the night with 18 points while Kimble chipped in 15 points in the win.

Both teams came out struggling to start the game, as FHU and William Woods combined for just seven points in the opening four minutes with the Owls holding a 5-2 edge. However, the Lions found their stride later in the half, as they rattled off five unanswered baskets to take a 7-5 lead following a Jalen Thompson three ball.

The Lions kept their foot on the gas pedal midway through the half, as they extended their lead to six points at the 21-15 mark with six minutes remaining following a jumper by Marcus Baldwin. However, the Owls turned up the defensive pressure to close the half, as they limited the Lions to just three points, as FHU held a 26-24 lead entering the break. Brandon Vice led the Owls in first half scoring with 10 points while Marcus Baldwin led the Lions with seven points in the frame.

The Lions extended their lead back to five points to open the second half following a three pointer by Simon Fransis to give FHU some breathing room. However, the Owls responded with a run of their own, as they rattled off seven unanswered points to take a 31-29 lead following a Shad Kimble three-pointer.

The match-up remained tight over the the next five minutes; however, the Lions were able to remain on top by three following a jumper by Marcus Baldwin with less than three minutes remaining in regulation. The Lions extended their lead to as many as eight at the 62-54 mark following layup by Ehab Eltayeb off an assist by Simon Fransis.

However, the eight point lead was not safe, as the Owls continued to chip away at the deficit over the next two minutes and were able to take the lead following an 8-0 run capped off by a Brandon Vice jumper to give William Woods a 64-62 advantage with 33 second remaining. From there, the Owls traded baskets with the Lions and did just enough to secure the 67-64 victory.

With the loss, the Lions fall to 3-8 on the season and 1-4 in conference play. William Woods improves to 6-7 on the season and 3-2 in AMC play with the win.

UP NEXT: The Lions are back in action Tuesday, December 19th, as they host Crowley's Ridge College. Game time is slated for 6:00 PM at the Brewer Sports Center. Live video for that contest available by clicking here.