SEARCY – Arielle Saunders scored a career-high 28 points and added 14 rebounds to lead 23rd-ranked Harding to a 74-61 victory over 12th-ranked Arkansas Tech before a crowd of 1,850 at the Rhodes Field House.

The victory was Harding's 10th straight and put the Lady Bisons alone atop the Great American Conference standings at 10-0. Harding is 14-2 overall.

Arkansas Tech (14-2, 9-1) lost for the first time on the road and is in sole possession of second place in the conference race.

Saunders scored 18 first-half points, including a left-handed layup at the buzzer, to lead Harding to a 44-31 halftime lead.

The Golden Suns used an 8-0 run over a two-minute stretch early in the second half to pull within four points on Fatima Adams' layup with 12:34 left. Harding answered with a 7-0 run started by Correy Moyer's 3-pointer and capped off by two A'ndi Haney free throws.

Harding's lead was six points at 63-57 with 4:35 remaining, but Saunders hit a turnaround jumper on the Lady Bisons' next trip and found Lundon Williams for a 3-pointer the next time down to seal the victory.

Harding shot 43 percent, made six 3-pointers and held a 27-11 rebound advantage in the first half. Arkansas Tech shot 39 percent and did not have an offensive rebound. The Lady Bisons had an 11-0 advantage in second-chance points and an 18-12 lead in the paint.

Adams, who fouled out with more than six minutes left in the game, led Arkansas Tech with 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting.

Montana Lewis added 12 points and eight rebounds for Harding, and Williams and Tabitha Haney had nine points each.

Harding plays its final game of a four-game home stand Saturday against Arkansas-Monticello. Tipoff at the Rhodes Field House is at 5:30 p.m.