Box Score

SEARCY — In a must-win situation, the Harding Bisons defeated the Ouachita Baptist Tigers 72-64 in the regular-season finale at the Rhodes Field House on Saturday night to earn the fifth and final playoff spot in the Gulf South Conference Tournament.

The Bisons earned the fifth seed in the GSC West Division with their victory coupled with Southern Arkansas' 64-55 loss to Arkansas-Monticello. Harding (16-11,6-8 GSC) will play its first-round GSC Tournament game against West Alabama on Wednesday, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the DeSoto County Civic Center in Southhaven, Miss.

Ouachita Baptist (13-14, 3-11) led 41-34 after starting with second half by scoring nine unanswered points, but Harding quickly rallied back. Sophomore Stephen Blake tied the game 43-43 on his only three-pointer of the night, and sophomore Matt Ragsdale put the Bisons ahead with a jumper in the lane with 14:58 remaining.

Harding never trailed again and extended its lead to a game-high 13 points on a three-pointer by junior Matt Garner with 8:28 left in the second half.

Garner was perfect from the field on Saturday. In only 15 minutes, Garner made all five of his field goals, including thee shots from behind the three-point line. He finished with a team-leading 13 points.

Ragsdale added 10 points for Harding. Junior Trent Morgan scored 8 points and led the Bisons with 7 rebounds. Harding's bench outscored Ouachita Baptist's reserves 37-2.

Harding led 34-32 at halftime.

Rowan Ledbetter led Ouachita Baptist with 31 points, making 6 of 13 three-pointers. Daniel Maddox scored 13 points and Brandon Rose added 12 points.