HENDERSON, Tenn. - William Woods University answered second-ranked Freed-Hardeman University with a carbon-copy second half, erasing a 20-point deficit, but the Lady Owls couldn't complete the remarkable rally.
William Woods briefly took a lead with less than 4 minutes to play, but Freed-Hardeman pulled itself together and turned back the Lady Owls down the stretch to escape with a 71-68 American Midwest Conference win in Saturday's regular-season finale.
The Lady Lions overpowered William Woods 94-57 on Jan. 25 in Fulton, and appeared well on their way to another romp Saturday when they rolled into halftime with a comfortable 44-24 advantage over the Lady Owls. Freed-Hardeman shot 46 percent (19-of-41) during the opening 20 minutes, while William Woods struggled with a dismal 30-percent effort (8-of-27).
The Lady Owls found themselves trailing by 20 points, 54-34, with 15 minutes, 8 seconds left in the game when they flipped the first-half script on the Lady Lions. William Woods outscored Freed-Hardeman 28-7 over the next 11:28 and took its only lead of the second half when senior guard Katie Scherder buried a 3-pointer to put the Lady Owls on top 62-61 with 3:40 to go.
The Lady Lions, though, responded on their next trip down the floor when Brittany Montgomery replied with a 3 at the 3:10 mark as Freed-Hardeman went back in front to stay. William Woods kept the pressure on, but couldn't overtake the Lady Lions again.
Men's basketball
Freed-Hardeman 89
William Woods 62
HENDERSON, Tenn. - The Owls shot just 33 percent (20-of-60) in ending the regular season with a 27-point American Midwest Conference loss to the sixth-ranked Lions on Saturday.
William Woods University shot a sparse 28 percent (8-of-29) in the first half and was down 51-25 at the break. The Owls - who were swept in the season series by Freed-Hardeman University - trailed by as many as 34 points in the second half.
Baseball
William Woods 6 7
Ashford (Iowa) 0 0
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Three pitchers combined on a pair of shutouts and limited the error-prone Saints to six hits as the Owls swept Saturday's doubleheader.
Senior starter Dane Smith scattered two hits and walked two in the opener to pick up the complete-game victory for William Woods University (10-1), which has won five in a row.
Junior starter Ryan Yuengel and junior reliever James Ball then collaborated to blank Ashford University on just four hits in the nightcap. Yuengel worked four innings to earn the win, allowing two hits and issuing a pair of walks. Ball threw the last three innings to post the save, surrendering a pair of hits while walking one.
Softball
William Woods splits games
over weekend in Oklahoma
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. - The Lady Owls established a season-high output and unleashed a 23-hit barrage in a 20-3, five-inning blitz of Bethany (Kan.) College in the first of two matchups Saturday.
In the second game against host Northeastern State University, William Woods University fell 5-4 when the Riverhawks scored what proved to be the winning run in the fifth inning.
Men's tennis
Westminster starts season
with two losses in Iowa
GRINNELL, Iowa - The Blue Jays opened their season with losses to No. 15 Grinnell College (9-0) and Grand View (6-3) on Saturday.