Box Score

SEARCY — The Harding Lady Bisons rallied from four points behind in the final two minutes Thursday night to remain undefeated, earning a 73-69 victory over Incarnate Word at Rhodes Field House.

“We've had three or four games where we haven't panicked late in the game, and it's paid off,” Harding Coach Tim Kirby said. “We've won a couple overtime games, and this one came down to the wire.”

Harding (9-0) entered Thursday's game as only one of 14 teams in Division II still undefeated, but trailed 67-63 with 2:24 remaining in the game when Cinnamon Kava hit a three-pointer for Incarnate Word (6-5).

On the following possession, junior Kaitlin May passed to sophomore Makala McNair, who scored a three-pointer from the left side to close Incarnate's lead to one point with 1:38 remaining.

After Incarnate Word's Hayley Harvey missed a layup, Leah Fugett was fouled on Harding's next possession. Fugett, who had shot 66 percent from the free throw line this season, made both free throw shots to give the Lady Bisons a 68-67 lead with 1:05 left.

“She's clutch, she's going to hit them late in the game, and we feel good about her being on the line,” Kirby said.

The Lady Bisons finished the game making 5-of-6 free throw attempts to secure the victory.

Senior Ashley Anderson led the Lady Bisons with 18 points. Junior Stacey Owens scored 13 points and collected a team-high eight rebounds for Harding. May scored 11 points, and McNair added 10 points.

The Lady Bisons led by as many as 11 points midway through the second half, but Incarnate Word began to rally, largely because of Kava's long-range shooting. Kava scored 21 of her team-leading 33 points in the second half and made 8-of-14 three-pointers in the game.

Harding led 36-32 at halftime.

Since joining NCAA Division II 12 seasons ago, Harding has never enjoyed such a long winning streak to open a season. The Lady Bisons, who received 10 votes in the week's national WBCA/USA Today coaches poll, started the 1996-97 season by winning its first 13 games. That team, coached by current athletic director Greg Harnden, reached the NAIA National Tournament.

The Lady Bisons will travel to Hawaii later this week for a pair of games. Harding will play Hawaii Chaminade at noon on Sunday and will fiace Hawaii Pacific on Monday at 6:30 p.m.