HENDERSON, Tenn. – Solid shooting efforts helped the William Woods University Men's Basketball team defeat Freed-Hardeman University Thursday evening, 65-58. The win brings the Owls back to .500 on the season with a 5-5 overall record, 2-2 in conference play.

David Johnson Jr. scored a floor-high 24 points in the win, shooting 56 percent from the field and 86 percent from the foul line. The team shot .889 from the foul line and .400 from the field.

The Owls face Williams Baptist University on the road for their last conference game of 2018 on Saturday, Dec. 15.
 
Game Flow
FHU took a six-point lead while holding the Owls scoreless for the first four minutes of play. David Johnson Jr. put the Owls on the board finally, but FHU pushed out a 10-point lead, 14-4.

With eight minutes left in the first half, Treshawn Gause drained a three, followed by a Johnson Jr. bucket in the paint, to bring the Owls within five, 21-16.

The Owls brought the game within two with a Shad Kimble three and a down-low bucket from Makenzie Fessler, but FHU closed out the half with a 30-23 lead.

The Owls began the second half with back-to-back threes from Kimble and Austin Curry, and Johnson Jr. put in a bucket in the paint to cut the game to one just under two minutes in.

FHU held on to the lead until Johnson Jr. scored on a fast break layup with 15:49 on the clock. FHU pushed their lead back to six, but the precision at the foul line helped the Owls tie the game a second time, 46-46.

The Owls took a six-point lead at the conclusion of their 12-0 run, 52-46. FHU came within one with seven minutes on the clock, but Johnson Jr. and Gause hit back-to-back buckets to extend their lead to five, 58-53.

With 2:01 left in regulation, FHU brought the game within three, but the Owls went a perfect 4-for-4 from the foul line and Johnson Jr. scored his ninth basket of the night to give the Owls a 65-58 win.
 
By The Numbers
.889 – The Owls shot an impressive .889 from the foul line as they went 16-for-18.
.400 – The Owls shot .400 from the field on the night (22-of-55).
24 – David Johnson Jr. scored a floor-high 24 points.
11 – Austin Curry and Shad Kimble both added 11 points. Curry went 5-for-8 from the field.
7 – David Johnson Jr., Austin Curry and Jessie Frost-Dixon led the rebounding efforts with seven each.