The top-seeded Lyon College women’s basketball team hosted No. 2-seed Freed-Hardeman in front of a packed house inside Becknell Gymnasium on Tuesday night for the championship game of the American Midwest Conference Tournament. The difference in the game came in the second quarter as the Lady Lions outscored the Scots, 23-6, in the period as Lyon fell by a score of 74-60.
FHU improved to 27-6 with the win, while the Scots dropped to 29-3 on the season.
The Scots weathered an early run by the Lady Lions as FHU jumped out to an 8-2 lead two minutes into the contest following a three-pointer by Alyssa LeMay. Liz Henderson followed with a three-pointer of her own and sparked a 9-2 run for the Scots as a bucket by Katie Turner gave Lyon an 11-10 lead. FHU quickly regained the lead on a layup by Haylee Croom before the Scots ended the quarter on another 9-2 run and led, 20-14, after the first quarter.
The Lady Lions separated themselves from the Scots and took a 37-26 lead at the half after a big second quarter.
Madison Riley accounted for the first to buckets of the second half for the Scots and trimmed the deficit to nine at 39-30 with seven minutes left in the quarter before FHU extended its lead to 47-30 just three minutes later. Lyon managed to pull back within 13, 51-38, just before the end of the period on a jumper by Haley Wesley.
The Scots pulled back within eight points three minutes into the third quarter after a jumper by Henderson put the score at 53-45, but that would be as close as the Scots would get the rest of the way.
Riley led the Scots offensively with a team-high 22 points, while Henderson chipped in 11.
The Scots will now prepare to play at the NAIA National Championship in Billings, Mont., on Mar. 18-24. The bracket reveal for the NAIA National Championship will take place via the NAIA Facebook page on March 11 at 6 p.m.
For the official box score, click here.
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