Harding: Shana Holmes – 14 points
Harding: Arielle Saunders –15 rebounds
Harding: Kristen Celsor – 12 points
Arkansas-Fort Smith: Justyne Huber – 13 points
FORT SMITH, Ark. – The Harding women's basketball team opened the 2013-14 campaign with a 77-54 win at Arkansas-Fort Smith on Friday in the Lady Lion Classic. The Lady Bisons improved to 1-0 on the season.
It was the fourth straight year Harding has opened the season with a win. HU is now 14-3 in openers since joining the NCAA in 1997.
Junior guard Shana Holmes led all scoring with a 14 points. Holmes was 6-for-11 from the field and 2-of-4 from behind the 3-point line. Senior forward Kristen Celsor added 12 points and senior guard Deshelle Isaac-Boyce came off the bench and scored 11 points.
Harding dominated the boards as they outrebounded Arkansas-Fort Smith 51-36. The Lady Bisons were led by junior forward Arielle Saunders who had 15 which was three off her career high.
Arkansas-Fort Smith (0-1) was led by Justyne Huber who had 13 points and five rebounds.
Both teams struggled out of the gate as Harding took an 11-5 lead with 12:26 left in the first half. The Lady Bisons continued to build on their lead and led by as much as 14 as they took a 32-18 lead into halftime.
The Lady Lions cut the lead to nine in the opening minutes of the second half on a jumper by Huber in the paint. It was the closest UAFS got the rest of the way as Harding led by as much as 29 points (75-46).
Harding shot just 35 percent from the field in the first half but went 16-of-24 in the second half (66.7 percent). The Lady Bisons also hit seven 3-pointers in the game. Three different Harding players had two points.
Harding scored 44 of its 77 points in the paint and 14 off UAFS's 18 turnovers.
Four Lady Bisons made their Harding debut. Freshman guard A'ndrea Haney started and had eight points. Freshman guard Taylor Longley hit two 3-pointers and finished with six points. Junior guard Jackie Bacon had two points and senior forward Tanja Steed had a rebound.
The Lady Bisons will be back in action on Saturday as they face Northeastern State at noon in Fort Smith.
