MCKENZIE, Tenn. — Despite being the No. 5 team in the nation, the Freed-Hardeman University Lady Lions were the lower-ranked team in back-to-back Mid-South Conference games. After defeating the No. 3 Campbellsville Tigers, the Lady Lions claimed a 14-point victory over the No. 2 Bethel University Lady Wildcats, 73-59, on Thursday.
The heavyweight bout began with the Lady Lions (19-1, 4-1 MSC) showing off their threat from long range with
Carissa Curtis,
Brooklyn Crouch, and
Jenna Satterly all tallying 3-pointers in the first quarter. Neither team would hold a lead of higher than three points in the opener with Satterly's trey putting FHU in the lead 19-17 at the end of the first 10 minutes.
FHU's defense shone throughout the second period with the Lady Wildcats (19-2, 4-1 MSC) being held to just three made field goals in the quarter. Meanwhile, the Lady Lions drove into the paint with
Lilly Kee joining the fray before Curtis and Satterly ended the first half with back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Lady Lions a 38-23 edge at the midpoint.
Despite FHU opening the second half with Satterly bucketing nine points in less than a minute to take a 46-25 lead, Bethel's offense clicked in the middle of the third quarter. What was a 21-point lead for the Lady Lions was nearly squandered as Bethel rattled off 11 unanswered points. By the end of the quarter, FHU clung to a 50-46 lead.
The Lady Lions began the fourth quarter by scoring six unanswered points to extend their lead back to double digits. FHU managed three additional layups in the final frame, but the Lady Lions went 11-12 from the charity stripe to earn the 73-59 victory.
FHU shot 47% from the floor while holding Bethel to a 32% mark. FHU led at the glass with 29 rebounds to the Wildcats' 25.
Jenna Satterly tallied a season-high 23 points helped by hitting a career-high four 3-pointers.
Lilly Kee and
Ally Weathers added 12 points each while Weathers was a rebound shy of a double-double with a team-high nine boards.
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Up Next
With Saturday's game against Cumberland postponed due to the impending winter weather, the Lady Lions will begin the second half of the MSC slate by visiting the No. 25 Georgetown Tigers on January 29 and the No. 14 Cumberlands Patriots on January 31.
