SEARCY – Harding had three players score 20 points or more and won its seventh straight home game with an 89-80 victory over Arkansas Tech on Thursday in Great American Conference action at Rhodes Field House.

Harding has won seven straight at home before a crowd of 2,502 and improved to 8-8 overall and 6-4 in the GAC. The Bisons remained in fourth placed in the conference standings and host Arkansas-Monticello on Saturday in the final game of a four-game home stand.

Arkansas Tech (8-10, 4-6) lost for the fifth time in six road games this season.

The game was tied at 64-64 with 8:11 left, but Harding went on a 16-3 run over the next five minutes to pull away. The run started with a pair of 3-pointers from Blake McNair and ended on a three-point play by Will Francis that gave Harding an 80-67 lead. The Bisons led by five or more the rest of the way.

The two teams combined to make 30 3-pointers in the game. Harding was 15-of-33 from 3-point range, and Arkansas Tech was 15-of-28.

Jacob Gibson made five 3-pointers and scored 17 points in the first half to give Harding a 42-36 lead at the break. Gibson was 6-of-8 from the field, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range, despite picking up two early fouls and playing only 11 minutes.

McNair scored 16 of his team-leading 23 points in the second half. He connected on 5-of-9 3-pointers. Gibson made six 3-pointers and had 22, and Andraz Kavas was 3-of-6 from 3-point range and scored 20 points. Kavas also led Harding with eight rebounds, and Francis had 11 points and a career-high eight assists.

Tyler Friedel made eight 3-pointers and led Arkansas Tech with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Senior Mike Balogun, a transfer from Southern Illinois, had 12 points in the first half but did not score after halftime.