Cats Fall on the Road at No. 2 Freed-Hardeman

HENDERSON, Tenn. — Bethel Men's Basketball faced a tough challenge on the road Saturday afternoon, falling 98–72 to top-ranked Freed-Hardeman at Brewer Sports Center in Mid-South Conference action.

The Wildcats stayed competitive in the opening half and went into the locker room trailing 40–32, but Freed-Hardeman used a strong second-half surge to pull away. The Lions outscored Bethel 58–40 after the break, shooting 53.7 percent for the game and knocking down 11 three-pointers, including an efficient 52.9 percent clip from beyond the arc in the second half.

"We competed early, but against a team like that you have to sustain it for 40 minutes," said Bethel head coach Jeff Britt. "We didn't do a good enough job defending the paint or limiting second-half runs, and they made us pay."

Offensively, Bethel was led by David Starr with 16 points, while Ethan Turner recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Chauncey Hughes III added 14 points, three assists, and two steals, and Jackson Hayes chipped in eight points in limited minutes. Brayden Nunnally also contributed on the glass, pulling down eight rebounds.

The Wildcats battled on the boards and finished with 18 second-chance points, but shooting woes proved costly. Bethel shot 35.3 percent from the floor and 21.4 percent from three-point range, while Freed-Hardeman controlled the interior with a 48–22 advantage in points in the paint and a 30–14 edge in bench points.

Rico Sain led Freed-Hardeman with 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting, including five three-pointers. Phil Horton added 15 points, and Rodney Henderson finished with 14 as the Lions improved to 24–1 overall and 9–0 in MSC play.

Bethel drops to 16–9 overall and 2–7 in conference action and will look to regroup as Mid-South Conference play continues.

The Cats host Campbellsville Thursday at 7:30 p.m.