SEARCY, Ark. – Junior Andraz Kavas scored 17 points and Harding shot 55 percent from the field in a 64-52 victory in both teams' Great American Conference opener Saturday at the Rhodes Field House.

Harding improved to 3-1 overall and won its GAC opener for the third time in four seasons. The Bisons have defeated the Bulldogs (2-2, 0-1) seven straight times in Searcy.

Junior Jacob Gibson made the first of four Harding 3-pointers over a four-minute stretch of the first half that broke an early tie. The Bisons led 20-11 when Gibson also made the fourth 3-pointer during the 13-4 Harding run.

The Bisons led the rest of the game, holding a 33-26 halftime advantage and holding a margin of four points or more throughout the second half.

Gibson had 16 points, and junior Blake McNair was a perfect 3-of-3 from 3-point range and scored 11 points. Junior Johnthan McGee scored nine and had seven assists, and junior Antoine Burrell scored seven points off the bench.

Trent Washington scored 15 points to lead Southwestern Oklahoma, who shot only 34 percent. The Bulldogs made only 2-of-19 from 3-point range, missing 11 of 12 3-point attempts in the second half.

Harding's next action is at the Pak-A-Sak Thanksgiving Classic, hosted by West Texas A&M on Nov. 28-29 in Canyon, Texas. The Bisons play host West Texas A&M on Thursday at 7 p.m. and take on Eastern New Mexico on Friday at 2:30 p.m.