DAYTON, Tenn. – The Bryan College women's basketball team dropped a 80-66 decision to seventh-ranked Freed-Hardeman University on Saturday afternoon at Summers Gymnasium, as the undefeated Freed Hardeman Lions improved to 15-0 on the season.
Bryan (10-4) battled back from a 25-point halftime deficit, outscoring the visitors 45-37 in the second half, but couldn't overcome a frigid first-half shooting performance that saw them trailing 43-21 at the break.
The Lady Lions showed resilience in the third quarter, erupting for 26 points while holding Freed-Hardeman to just 17.
Ruby Cox led the charge with 10 points in the frame, including a pair of three-pointers, as Bryan cut the deficit to 60-47 heading into the final period.
Senior guard
Molly Brown paced Bryan with 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting, including a late three-pointer in the final minute. Cox matched Brown's output with 14 points of her own, connecting on 4-of-11 from the field while adding four rebounds.
Kaylynn Walls contributed nine points off the bench, going a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line.
Ellie Graham added eight points, five rebounds, and two assists in 26 minutes of action, while
Autumn Davis chipped in eight points and three rebounds.
The Lady Lions struggled mightily from the field in the first half, shooting just 28.1 percent (9-of-32) while going 1-for-12 from three-point range. Bryan finished the game shooting 32.8 percent overall and 21.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Freed-Hardeman, meanwhile, shot a blistering 52.2 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from three-point range. Lilly Kee led all scorers with 23 points on 4-of-6 shooting, adding 14 rebounds and three blocks. Carissa Curtis added 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including six three-pointers.
Despite the loss, Bryan can take encouragement from their second-half performance and defensive adjustments. The Lady Lions forced 29 turnovers and scored 32 points off those mistakes, while also holding a 28-22 advantage in points in the paint.
Bryan will look to bounce back from this setback as they continue their season. The team's 10-4 record still represents a strong start to the campaign. They will resume conference play next week as they take on Truett McConnell.
