RUSSELLVILLE, ARK. – Harding senior Lonnie Smith scored 25 points, hitting 6-of-7 three-pointers, to lead the Bisons to a 70-68 win over Arkansas Tech, Thursday at Tucker Coliseum. It was Harding’s 11 straight win over the Wonder Boys.

 

Harding (11-6, 3-4 Gulf South Conference) won consecutive conference games for the first time this season and won its sixth straight in Russellville. The Bisons improved to 11-0 on the season when scoring 70 points or more.

 

The Bisons had their largest lead in the game at halftime, 45-32, after shooting 56% from the field in the first half.

 

Harding cooled off significantly in the second half, shooting only 29% from the field. Arkansas Tech (10-8, 1-6) went on a 5-0 run beginning at the 3:19 mark of the second half to cut the Bison lead to 69-68 with 13 seconds remaining. Smith then hit one-of-two free throws after being fouled on the in-bounds pass. Tech had one last chance, but a 40-foot heave by Marcus Lyons found only the backboard.

 

Bison junior Alassane Savadogo tied his season high with 14 points, and junior Patrick Andrepont notched a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

 

Arkansas Tech shot 44% in the second half and 43% in the game. The Wonder Boys outscored the Bisons 36-25 in the second half.

 

Tech continued to pound the ball inside throughout the game and had a 42-26 advantage in the paint. Doing most of the damage was senior Rone Smith, who had a game-high 26 points. Ike Ohanson had 12 points and 12 rebounds.

 

Harding hit 8-of-18 from three-point range, including 5-of-9 in the first half. Arkansas Tech was only 6-of-26 (23%) from long range.

 

The loss was the fifth straight for Arkansas Tech and its seventh loss in the last eight games. The Wonder Boys have never beaten Harding in GSC play.

 

Harding is back in action Saturday against Henderson State at the Rhodes Field House. The game is a sell out but will be broadcast live on Searcy’s TV 16. It will also be broadcast live at www.hardingsports.com.