Cats and Lions Meet Monday with MSC Tournament Title on the Line
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Bethel Wildcats made history by advancing for the first time ever to the Mid-South Conference title game. It wasn't easy but the No. 7 seed knocked off No. 2 seed Georgetown and No. 3 seed Cumberlands 80-76 in overtime to make program history. In both wins it was the Comeback Cats erasing double digit deficits to win.
No. 1 seed and No. 1 nationally ranked Freed-Hardeman will be the final test for the Cats to add to their historic run.
Freed Hardeman will no doubt be the toughest assignment as most who follow the NAIA have them winning the national title.
The Lions have won 24 in a row and are 27-1 on the year.
The Cats are 19-11 on the season.
It will be the 88th meeting between the two programs which began back in 1975. FHU holds a 47- 40 advantage and has won eight of the last ten meetings.
Bethel ran into a red-hot Freed-Hardeman squad in January at Crisp Arena, as the No. 2 Lions handed the Wildcats an 87–62 loss.
Freed-Hardeman set the tone early, shooting over 50 percent in the first half and building a commanding 43–28 lead at the break. The Lions consistently attacked the paint, finishing with 54 points inside, while capitalizing on Bethel turnovers to maintain control throughout the night.
The Wildcats showed flashes of fight, particularly behind Chauncey Hughes III, who led Bethel with 18 points, three steals, and two assists. David Starr provided a spark off the bench with nine points and five rebounds, while Alonzo Rhodes Jr. added eight points and physical play inside.
Despite a more competitive second half, Bethel struggled to find a rhythm from beyond the arc after halftime, going scoreless from three-point range in the final 20 minutes. Freed-Hardeman's depth proved decisive, as multiple Lions reached double figures and kept steady pressure on both ends of the floor.
The Cats faced a tough challenge on the road in early February falling 98–72 to top-ranked Freed-Hardeman at Brewer Sports Center.
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.
Tip-off in the Bowling Green High School Event Center is slated for 7:30 p.m.
For information on tickets, stats, how to watch and directions to the arena, visit:
https://mid-southconference.org/sports/2025/12/14/mscmbb2026tournament.aspx