Jeremy Wright, Sports Information Intern

HENDERSON, Tenn. – The Freed-Hardeman University men's basketball team (7-3, 4-1 AMC) defeated Columbia College (6-7, 3-4 AMC) 69-64 for their fourth straight win on Saturday.

To start the game, Columbia got out to the early lead and would lead by as many as five. The Lions came roaring back, though, and five quick points from Silas Clark and a big dunk from Yuryk Lazard would give the Lions the lead, and they would not trail again.

Throughout the first half, both teams had some hot shooting to keep the game close, and the Lions held a slim 36-33 lead going into halftime. They would separate in the second half, behind the shooting of Konstantin Dotsenko, who hit six shots from behind the arc in the contest. Their defense also stagnated the Columbia offense which helped extend the lead to as many as 16 points.

The Cougars would switch defenses to try to slow down the Lions' offense in a timeout, and they rallied to cut the lead down to three, but the Lions came up with the necessary stops and made timely free-throws to stay on top and win the game.

Dotsenko led all scorers with 20 points and seven rebounds, along with Yuryk Lazard who finished just shy of a double-double with 8 points and 12 rebounds.

Kortland Martin finished with 12 points and four assists to round out the double-figure scorers for FHU.

The Lions four-game win streak is the program's longest since 2017. They will be back in action on December 28 when they take on D1 NCAA opponent Arkansas State in an exhibition on the road.