SEARCY – Harding made a school and Great American Conference record 21 3-pointers and defeated Northwestern Oklahoma 92-72 on Thursday at the Rhodes Field House. Eleven of Harding's first 12 field goals were 3-pointers, and the Bisons made 14 3s in the first half alone.
Harding (5-5, 3-2) won its second straight conference game and heads into the break only one-half game behind GAC leader East Central. Northwestern (2-8, 1-3) lost its fourth straight and has dropped eight of its last nine.
The Bisons took its largest lead of the first half at 28 points on one of six 3-pointers from Jacob Gibson with 4:50 left in the half. Harding led 45-17 at that point and carried a 51-29 lead into the break. It was Harding's largest halftime lead of the season.
Harding matched its own GAC record, set in last season's GAC Tournament championship game against Henderson State, with its 16th 3-pointer, an Andraz Kavas jumper from the top of the key with 18:29 left. The Bisons tied the school record on Gibson's 3-pointer from the left wing at the 17:44 mark.
John Hudson, who got his first career start and scored a career-high 22 points, broke the school record with Harding's 18th 3-pointer with 14:05 left. Junior Blake McNair made No. 19 at the 9:10 mark, Hudson hit No. 20 with 3:55 left, and McNair made Harding's 21st 3-pointer with 2:02 remaining.
Gibson had 23 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double. He and Hudson both had six 3-pointers. Kavas, McNair, and freshman Zac Ward had three 3-pointers each.
Kavas had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists. McNair scored 10 points and added five rebounds, and Will Francis was the fifth Bison in double figures with 10 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
Harding made only eight 2-point baskets in the game, including just two in the first half.
The Bisons had 25 assists for the first time since notching 26 assists vs. Henderson State in 2012.
Adrian Motley and Laakeem Henderson both had 12 points to lead Northwestern.
Harding will play again on New Year's Eve in Memphis, Tennessee against Christian Brothers. The Bisons' next conference game is Jan. 3 against Ouachita Baptist in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
