LAKE WALES, FL- The Royals faced off against Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.) in a home matchup located in Lake Wales, Fla.

The Royals came out of the gate sluggish in the contest, only notching two points in the first quarter, compared to the Lions 15. Despite a better second half, The Royals shooting woes led to a 43 - 56 defeat against the visiting Freed-Hardeman University Lions. On the day, the Royals shot  just under 30% from the field, while knocking down only four shots from the three-point line. Both teams capitalized on missed shots, with each team garnering 20 defensive rebounds. Leading the way for the Royals was Jasmine Edwards, who finished the game with a double-double, and a perfect six for six from the charity stripe. Edwards totaled a team high 14 points and 12 rebounds, to go along with a block, and two steals. Despite the inconsistencies on offense, The Royals stellar defense kept the game at arm's reach. No one made a bigger impact on defense than Courtney Logan who finished the game with an impressive six steals in addition to 11 points scored. Freed-Hardeman University got a great performance today from Kelsey Bender as she paced the Lions with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and five steals. This was Bender's best game to date and proved to be too much for the Royals to handle. Dianis Hurtado was a bright spot behind the arch for the Royals knocking down three three-pointers. On the day she finished with nine points, five rebounds, and two assists. The Royals look to kick off the new year with a win next Saturday (January, 6th) when they travel to Florida Memorial University for a Sun Conference matchup against the Lions. 

INSIDE THE MATCH: Warner vs #24 Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.) Lions
FINAL: Royals 43, Lions 56
RECORDS: Royals (5-7), Lions (14-2)

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

• Jasmine Edwards tallied a double-double, finishing with 14 points to go with her 12 rebounds. She also finished with a perfect six for six from the free point line. 
• Courtney Logan continues to be a ball hawk on defense, finishing with a team high six steals to with her 11 points. Logan shot 33.3% from the field while also tacking on two assists.
• Dianis Hurtado continues to be a sharpshooter behind the arch, compiling three three pointers to go with her five rebounds and two assists. Hurtado will look to continue letting shots fly at an efficient rate for the Royals.
• The Royals grabbed 26 rebounds in the contest.

UP NEXT:
The Royals begin Sun Conference play, on January 6th, when they hit the road to face Florida Memorial Lions in Miami Gardens, Florida.