SEARCY – Junior forward Kristen Celsor scored a career-high 33 points to lead the Harding women's basketball team over Missouri Southern State on Saturday in non-conference action at the Rhodes Field House. The Lady Bisons improved to 4-4 on the season.

Celsor made 12-of-18 from the field and was perfect from the free throw line hitting 8-of-8. It was the most points by a Harding player this season. She was the first Harding player to score more than 30 points since Sierra Rollins (2008-12) had 34 against Southern Arkansas in 2011. Celsor also had a career-high six steals.

Harding started slow but jumped out to an eight point lead with 12:24 left in the first half. A layup by Celsor at the 6:19 mark gave the Lady Bisons a 12 point lead. HU led 30-18 at halftime. It was the second time this season HU has held their opponent to fewer than 20 points in a half.

Harding opened the second half on a 10-3 run and took an 18 point lead on back-to-back free throws by sophomore guard Shana Holmes with 15 minutes remaining in the game. Missouri Southern State cut the lead to 11 with 11:33 left to play on a Shonte Clay layup. The Lady Bisons didn't allow the Lions to get any closer as they lead by as much as 28 to give Harding their third straight win at home.

Sophomore forward Arielle Saunders captured her second double-double of the season with 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. She also had a career-high six steals. It was the first time program history that two HU players had six steals in a game.

Harding had a season-high 17 steals and a season-high six blocks. Saunders led HU in blocks with four.

The Lady Bisons forced the Lions to 25 turnovers and turned them into 26 points.

Missouri Southern State was led by Erin Rice and Shatara Jones who came off the bench and scored 10 points apiece. The Lions' bench scored 42 points.

MSSU ranked 12th in Division II in field goal percentage (46.3 percent) entering the game. Harding held Missouri Southern State to shooting 35.3 percent and only allowed the Lions to shoot 1-of-10 from behind the 3-point line.

It was the first win in nine games for a Great American Conference team over an MIAA team this season.

Harding will play their final non-conference game of the season on Tuesday as they travel to Memphis, Tenn., to face Christian Brothers at 5 p.m.