HENDERSON, Tenn. -- No. 2-ranked Freed-Hardeman University connected on 52.2 percent of its three-point shots on the night, as they hit 12 trifectas to defeat the William Woods University women's basketball team, 70-53, on Friday night to end the Owls run in the American Midwest Conference Tournament.

Cynthia Woodward scored a career-high 23 points, as she hit 7-of-8 from behind the arc to pace Freed-Hardeman (31-1) to a 17-point defeat of William Woods (22-10), and advance to Monday's AMC Tournament Final against Columbia College. The loss will prevent the Owls from making the AMC Tournament Finals for the first time in six years.

The Owls allowed a season-high 12 three-point baskets on the night, as their normally stingy defense allowed the Lady Lions to hit well over 50 percent in the game from downtown.

WWU struggled to put points on the board, as they were held to its second-lowest point total on the year. The Owls hit 35.5 percent of its shots, but were only 5-of-19 from behind the arc. William Woods got to the free throw line just seven times in the game, a far cry from its 21 attempts per game average, and converted on only four of those shot attempts on the night.

Blake French led a trio of double-digit scorers for WWU on the night, as the junior turned in a 14-point performance on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. It was the 20th time this season that the St. Charles, Mo., native has hit double-figures in the scoring column.

Destani Stensrud finished with 13 points on the night, while senior Andraquay Quinnine collected 12 points in the loss. Quinnine added two more three-pointers to her single-season school record mark, as the San Francisco native has now connected on 76 trifectas in 31 games this year.

Hayley Newby and Brittany Montgomery each added a double-double to go along with Woodward's 23-point performance to lead the top-seeded Lady Lions on the night. Newby turned in a 15-point, 11-rebound effort for her 19th double-double of the year. While Montgomery collected 14 points and 10 caroms.  

Both team's came out of gate on fire, as William Woods held a 13-11 lead after a Stephanie Copelin three-point play with 15:06 left in the first. But from there, Freed-Hardeman would go on a quick 10-0 spurt to give them a 21-13 advantage with 11:08 on the clock.

The Lady Lions built a double-digit lead at the 9:15 mark of the first, and would maintain it for most of remainder of the frame, as they took a 38-24 lead into halftime.

FHU quickly built its lead to 17 in the second half, as a Woodward three-pointer gave her team the 43-26 advantage. William Woods responded with an 18-8 run of its own to pull within seven, at 51-44, after a French three-point play with 12:40 left to play.

From that point, Freed-Hardeman scored the game's next 11 points to push its lead back out to 18. The Lady Lions were able to hold its double-digit lead for the remainder of the game, and at one point pushed it to a game-high 22-point advantage, before settling for the 70-53 AMC Semifinal win.

William Woods will now play the waiting game to see if they will receive an at-large bid for the 2014 NAIA National Tournament in Frankfort, Ky. The Owls have been to the tournament every year since Head Coach Dan Chapla took over back during the 2008-09 season.

If they do not receive an at-large bid, then WWU will end its season with a 22-10 overall record. The 22 wins marks the sixth straight season that the Owls have collected at least 20 wins. The six year 20-win streak also started back in 2008-09, which was Chapla's first season at the helm.

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