Short bench, two OTs too much for Lions

February 4, 2023

by Dustin Semore, FHU Sports Information Director

MCKENZIE, Tenn. — A desperation 3-pointer from the hosting Bethel (Tenn.) University Wildcats forced overtime in Saturday's matinee contest against the No. 14 Freed-Hardeman University Lions. After both squads posted 14 points in overtime, a second was necessary, where the Lions had two players foul out to see the Lions lose their fourth game in five tries with a 95-88 final score.

Brandon Thomas got the ball rolling for the FHU Lions (17-7, 13-5 MSC), hitting a pair of jumpers to spark a 9-2 run for the guests from Henderson. JaQuan Lax and Hunter Scurlock added points in the paint during that run while JJ Wheat tallied a free throw. A strong push by the Bethel Wildcats in the paint first saw BU tie affairs with a set of free throws before a layup would give the Wildcats a four-point advantage with 8:37 remaining in the first half. Freed-Hardeman's defense clamped down, not allowing another Bethel point to fall in the half, forcing the Wildcats to end the first half on an 0-6 spell from the field. Taking advantage, the Lions would put up 15 unanswered points - first with five Lions collecting points in the paint before Peyton Law's 3-pointer put an exclamation park on the end of the half to see FHU lead 32-21.

The Bethel Wildcats (13-10, 9-9 MSC) used small bursts of offense to sneak up on the Lions. First, a 7-0 run to start the frame pulled the hosts within single digits. Law and Thomas would connect for layups to keep the Wildcats at bay before a 9-0 run saw the Lions watch their lead shrink to one possession: leading 43-41 with 12:21 left in regulation. Timely free-throw shooting from the Wildcats eventually began a brand new ballgame at 49-49 with 8:47 remaining. Across the next nine minutes, FHU and BU would trade blows, with neither team leading by more than two possessions. With the game knotted up at 65-65 with 15 ticks on the clock, the Lions hoped that Law's 3-point jumper would see the Lions escape with a win, but a half-court pass was followed by a 3-pointer from Tyler Neely to end regulation tied 68-68.

The final nine minutes of the game proved to be a premonition of how the first overtime period would be. FHU saw their largest lead of the extra frame move to four after Wheat's layup put FHU ahead 77-73. Free throw shooting from Bethel would again keep the Wildcats in the game before a layup with seven seconds left in overtime knotted affairs at 82-82 to prove that 45 minutes was not enough to determine a victor.

With a shortened bench made even shorter with two fouling out, the Wildcats would spend the second overtime period hitting seven free throws, while holding FHU scoreless in the final 2:36 to end the game after two overtimes 95-88.

The Bethel Wildcats bucketed 39 points off the bench to FHU's six bench points.

Brandon Thomas deposited a season-high 25 points in the loss, while Hunter Scurlock recorded a double-double with 15 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Peyton Law was 7-13 from the floor to lead to 18 points, while JJ Wheat collected 16 points.

Up Next

The Lions will look for success across the Ohio River when they travel to Wilberforce (Ohio) University on Thursday, February 9, tipping off against the Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m.