Box Score Columbia, Mo. - After a pair of entertaining matchups in their two regular season meetings, No. 4 ranked Columbia and 8^th-ranked Freed-Hardeman delivered another thrilling contest in the American Midwest Conference (AMC) Tournament Championship game on Tuesday night at the Arena of Southwell Complex. Freed-Hardeman battled back from eight points down late in the second half to force overtime, but it was the Cougars pulling away in the extra session for an 86-78 victory to clinch their third straight tournament championship. Columbia will head to the NAIA Men's Basketball National Tournament with a record of 31-2, while the Lions (27-5) will also earn a bid as the AMC regular season and tournament runner-up.

Both squads came out sharp offensively as Kyle Teichman scored eight quick points to stake Freed-Hardeman to an early 15-9 lead. Columbia came back to take a brief 18-17 advantage on a three-pointer by Tanner Sutton, but the Lions quickly responded with a 10-2 run to regain the lead over the rest of the first period, taking a 40-33 lead into the halftime break. Freed-Hardeman hit 16 of 31 attempts (52 percent) from the field and also owned a 24-16 rebounding edge in the frame, led by Teichman with 13 points. The Cougars struggled shooting the ball after a hot start to the half, connecting on just 14 of 39 attempts (36 percent) from the field while going 2 of 13 from three-point range. Patric Massey led Columbia with 13 points in the opening period.

The two teams traded baskets to start the second half as the Lions maintained their seven-point lead at 48-41 at the 15:26 mark. Jeremy Nolen knocked down a three-pointer on the Cougars' next possession to ignite a 14-2 run over the next two and a half minutes. Devin Griffin hit a three to tie the game at 50, followed by another trifecta from Nolen and a layup by Derrick Dilworth for a 55-50 Columbia advantage. Freed-Hardeman battled back to take a 58-57 edge, but the Cougars would reel off six straight points to retake the lead at 63-58 with 6:45 to play. Columbia was able to extend their lead out to eight at 72-64 with three minutes remaining, but missed free throws proved costly down the stretch as the Lions fought their way back to tie the score at 72 on back-to-back three-pointers by Orlando Bass. Both defenses would tighten up over the remainder of the regulation to send the game into overtime after neither squad scored in the final minute.

In the extra period, the Cougars would go up 77-74 after a jumper by Dilworth and a free throw by Chantel Stanciel with 2:40 to play. Freed-Hardeman pulled within one at 77-76 with 1:45 to go, but Columbia went back up by four following a three-pointer from the right corner by Dilworth at the 1:13 mark. The Lions would once again make it a one-possession game at 80-78, but the Cougars forced two crucial stops and hit six of eight free throws in the final minute to seal their second straight dramatic win.

Columbia hit 19 of 34 attempts from the field in the second half and overtime to finish at 45 percent on the night. Dilworth led four Cougars in double figures with 20 points to go along with 17 points and a team-high nine rebounds from Massey. Griffin and Nolen added 14 and 11 points respectively for Columbia, who finished with 20 assists in the game, led by Stanciel with a game-high seven helpers.

Bass had a game-high 24 points to lead Freed-Hardeman, who shot 44 percent and outrebounded the Cougars 49-41.

The AMC Postseason awards were handed out following the conclusion of Tuesday night's game. Griffin was a first team selection and also named the Co-AMC Player of the Year with Teichman from FHU. Dilworth was a second team honoree and Massey and Stanciel were each named to the honorable mention squad. Columbia head coach Bob Burchard was named the Conference Coach of the Year for the third season in a row and ninth time overall. For a complete list of the league's award recipients, visit www.amcsportsonline.com.

The Cougars will be idle until the NAIA National Tournament, which will take place in Kansas City, Mo. from March 19-24. The national tournament bracket and pairings will be announced on Wednesday, March 12^th at 7:00 pm. Check back with www.columbiacougars.com for the latest Columbia men's basketball postseason schedule and information.