Box Score Box Score
SEARCY – The 19th-ranked Harding Bisons closed out the first half of their Gulf South Conference West Division schedule with a 79-69 victory over Henderson State on Saturday in front of a standing-room-only crowd at the Rhodes Field House.
Harding improved to 16-3 overall and 6-1 in GSC West play. The Bisons are in second place in the eight-team division, ½-game behind Arkansas Tech (6-0). Every other team in the conference has at least three losses.
Playing their fourth game since last Saturday, Harding overcame an early 8-0 deficit with a 22-6 run over the next nine minutes.
The Bisons led 38-25 at halftime, but the Reddies shot 62 percent from the field in the second half and closed the lead to within three points on four occasions. Each time, Harding was able to pull away and never trailed in the second half.
Harding senior Kevin Brown turned in his third double-double of the season. He scored 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Brown also had more than half of Harding's rebounds. He had 15 of Harding's 28 rebounds, including nine offensive rebounds.
Senior Stephen Blake added 18 points for Harding. He shot 6-of-9 from the field and was a perfect 2-of-2 from 3-point range and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Junior Kirk Porter and senior Sam Brown also added 16 points each.
Henderson State center Zech Smith, listed at 6-foot-11, led the Reddies with 21 points, 18 of them coming in the second half.
Harding has won five straight at home and has a 9-1 record at the Rhodes Field House this season. Saturday's crowd of 2,960 was a season-best.
Henderson State (6-13, 1-6) remained winless in seven road games this season, but became only the second Harding opponent to shoot over 50 percent from the field. The Reddies were 27-of-49 (55.1 percent).
Harding begins the second half of the conference season Thursday in Arkadelphia, Ark., against Ouachita Baptist. Tip-off at Vining Arena is scheduled for 8 p.m.
