Box Score

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. – Alabama-Huntsville guard Jaime Smith scored 22 points and hit four free throws down the stretch to lead the Chargers to a 73-71 victory over Harding on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Gulf South Conference Tournament. Alabama-Huntsville, the top seed from the GSC East Division, advances to face North Alabama on Saturday in the semifinals.

Harding (16-12) had its season come to an end after its unlikely tournament run. The Bisons started conference play with a 1-5 record but won six of its last seven games to qualify for its fourth straight tournament berth.

Harding had a 31-27 lead at halftime and led for much of the second half. Alabama-Huntsville (22-5) took their first lead of the second half 58-56 on a Derek Johnston three-pointer with 6:06 left.

A Kirk Porter layup with 1:30 remaining put the Bisons back ahead 66-65, but Alabama-Huntsville made 8-of-8 free throws down the stretch and never trailed again.

The Chargers, who won their eighth straight game, entered the game as the seventh-best free throw shooting team in Division II and made 20-of-22 (90.9 percent), including 13-of-14 in the second half.

Porter and Stephen Blake scored 16 points each to lead the Bisons. Kevin Brown had 10 rebounds for the fourth time this season.

Zane Campbell came off the bench to score 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting for Alabama-Huntsville. Guard Josh Magette had 13 assists on UAH's 22 field goals. It was the most assists by a Harding opponent since the Bisons joined the NCAA in 1997.