LEBANON, Tenn. – Brittany Lawson recorded 18 points and 16 rebounds, but a 16-2 run over the final six minutes of the first half helped Freed-Hardeman build a big lead and the No. 6 Lions posted a 74-62 victory over sixth-ranked Cumberland in women’s basketball action Saturday in Henderson, Tenn.

Lawson led four Bulldog players in double figures, with Katie Smith netting 13 points with six boards, TaCouya Allen adding 12 points and Kishaun Williams registering 11 points, four assists and two steals in the loss.

CU committed 20 turnovers in the game, which the Lions converted into 26 points. Otherwise, the Bulldogs played even in almost every other statistical category.

Cumberland (1-3) trailed 24-22 with seven minutes to play in the first half, but FHU put together a 16-2 spurt that started with a 3-pointer from Kelsey Crowell. Taleeah Cross contributed seven points during the run, including another trifecta and the final basket for a 40-24 advantage. Lawson’s field goal with 22 seconds left in the period cut the halftime deficit to 40-26 at the break.

The Bulldogs started quickly in the second half, scoring the first eight points of the period, including a 3-pointer from Casie Cowan, a field goal by Smith and an old fashioned 3-pointer play from Lawson, making it 40-34 with 16:47 remaining, but Freed-Hardeman pushed the lead back to 12 three minutes later behind five points from Grace Alonso de Armino. Smith’s 3-pointer cut it back to seven with 13:01 to play, but that was as close as CU would get.

The lead swelled to 18 at one point late in the second half and the Bulldogs were never closer than 10 (after Allen’s trifecta at the 7:01 mark) the rest of the way.

Hayley Newby led all scorers with 25 points and added 12 rebounds, while Alonso de Armino posted 21 and 11 boards for the Lions. Cross finished with 14 points and five assists for FHU.

Cumberland begins defense of its Mid-South Conference regular season title on November 21 and 23 at the University of Rio Grande and Shawnee State, respectively.