LEBANON, Tenn.-- Kortland Martin nailed two free-throws with 6.7 seconds left to give Freed-Hardeman a 77-73 victory over Cumberland on Saturday at the Dallas Floyd Phoenix Arena.

Freed-Hardeman led by as much as eight with 1:34 to play, but Cumberland went on a 6-0 run ending with Isaac Stephens hitting a layup with nine seconds to cut it to 75-73, but Martin's free throws ended the spurt and pushed the lead to four. Cumberland scrambled to get a good look quick, but a mishandle on the way up for a shot at the three-point line ended the game.

Cumberland (0-2, 0-1 MSC) had five players in double-digit points as the team shot 41.8% from the field and managed to outrebound Freed-Hardeman 37-35. The Phoenix played with a smaller lineup for the majority of the game creating looks for different guys around the court.

Senior Tavon King scored 17 points going 6-of-16 from the field while picking up three assists, three rebounds, and three steals. Junior Isaac Stephens picked up his first double-double of the night with 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. 

Jaylen Negron scored 14 points on 5-of-8 from the field and 2-of-3 from deep while adding six rebounds. TJ Stargell added 13 points, five steals, and four rebounds. Devon Banks hit two threes en route to 12 points, four rebounds, and four assists. 

Freed-Hardeman (5-0, 2-0 MSC) shot 49.1% from the field and 42.9% from three. John Musselwhite, Kortland Martin, and Wanya King led the way for the Lions combining for 57 of the team's 77 points. Musselwhite had a game-high 23 points including three clutch three-pointers in the second half. Wanya King posted 17 points and six boards and Martin had 17 points, six boards, and four assists.

Cumberland started the game off well, getting up 9-0 before the Lions scored their first basket, but over the next three minutes of play Freed managed to tie the game 14-14 with 10:40 seconds remaining in the first half.

The first-half action went back and forth as Tavon King converted an and-one to tie the game at 20-20. CU was able to use that momentum to get up by six after a steal and a layup from Banks and back to back strong post plays from Stephens. 

Cumberland pushed the lead all the way out to 11 points for their largest lead of the night on a Stargell jumper from the top of the key, but the Lions roared back in the final minutes of the opening half. 

Wanya King scored the next eleven points himself drilling back-to-back threes, hitting a tough layup, and making three free throws, to tie the game at 36-36. Banks made a layup and Stephens added one point from the line, but a Martin three with nine seconds left in the half sent the teams into the locker room tied 39-39.

Stargell hammered a three home from the left corner to open up the second half, but it was Freed-Hardeman who used a big run to get up by seven 54-47 with 14:21 left.

After a Cumberland timeout, Chad Foster went right down the lane for two points and Negron made a triple from the wing and a jump shot to cut it to 55-54.

With the game knotted at 60-60, Stargell made a nice layup, but right after John Musselwhite hit a quick three-pointer to regain the lead. Musselwhite added eight more points himself with two threes and two while getting fouled to get up 75-67 with 1:34 to play.

Cumberland would not lay down though going on a 6-0 run before to cut it to a one-possession game before running out of time to complete the last-minute comeback.

Cumberland returns home on Thursday, December 3rd at 8:00 p.m. to play Shawnee State University.