Box Score

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. – The 17th-ranked Harding men's basketball team used a familiar formula Friday to earn a berth in the Gulf South Conference Tournament semifinals.

The Bisons pounded the ball inside, went hard to the basket, and got to the free throw line in their 74-63 victory over West Georgia in front of 610 fans at the DeSoto Civic Center.

Harding had made 58 more free throws than it opponents have attempted this season. Against West Georgia, a team that averaged only 12 fouls per game, Harding made 23-of-34 from the line and West Georgia hit only 12-of-15. The Wolves committed 24 fouls and leading scorer Da'Ron Sims fouled out for the first time this season with 3:17 left in the game.

The victory gave Harding a 23-4 record, only one short of the school mark of 24 victories in a season by the 1995-96 team. The Bisons' next meet Alabama-Huntsville, the No. 1 seed from the East Division, on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Harding held West Georgia (15-12) to only 29 percent shooting in the first half and led 40-28 at halftime. The Bisons led by eight with 7:29 left as Kirk Porter put back his own miss. The Wolves answered with a 7-0 run that closed the Bison lead to 60-59 with 4:10 left.

Harding responded with eight straight points, hitting 4-of-6 free throws and receiving a clutch 3-pointer from Bradley Spencer. Blake made the second of two free throws to cap the run and give Bisons a 68-59 lead with 1:38 left.

Sims, an All-GSC performer, led West Georgia with 20 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out. He shot 10-of-21 from the field.

Blake and Kevin Brown led Harding with 16 points each. Sam Brown had 14 points, 11 coming in the first half. The Bison bench had one of its most productive games of the season. The Harding reserves outscored the West Georgia subs 17-1.

Harding will play in the semifinals for the first time since 2009 and the fifth time in the Bisons' nine trips to the GSC Tournament. Alabama-Huntsville defeated Arkansas-Monticello earlier to advance to the semifinals against Harding.