SEARCY – Harding sophomore A'ndi Haney tied a career high with 18 points, and senior Montana Lewis had 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead the 16th-ranked Lady Bisons to a 72-61 victory over Southern Arkansas on Saturday at Rhodes Field House.

Harding (15-3, 11-1 Great American Conference) wore pink and teal uniforms in honor of former Lady Bison Kendra Bailey, who lost her battle with ovarian cancer in 2011 at age 28.

It was Harding's 22nd straight conference home victory and kept the Lady Bisons one game ahead of Arkansas Tech for first place in the GAC standings.

Southern Arkansas (5-14, 3-10) remained winless on the road in GAC games this season.

Harding used a 17-2 run over five minutes midway through the first half to turn a four-point deficit into an 11-point lead. The Lady Bisons led by as many as 23 points in the first half and held a 42-22 lead at halftime.

Harding's lead swelled to as many as 24 in the second half, but an 11-2 Southern Arkansas run cut the Lady Bisons' advantage to only 12 at 60-48 with 6:34 left. Rosa Bryant's layup with 2:57 remaining trimmed the lead even further, leaving Harding with a 63-52 margin. Tabitha Haney answered with jumper, and Lundon Williams hit a 3-pointer to give the Lady Bisons a comfortable lead down the stretch.

A'ndi Haney made four 3-pointers and scored 14 points in the first half. Lewis shot 6-of-9 from the field and recorded her third double-double of the season. Senior Arielle Saunders scored 13 points and had nine rebounds and six assists. Sophomore Corey Moyer came off the bench to score 11.

Bryant led Southern Arkansas with 17 points, and Cemetra Jenkins added 14.

Harding plays five of its last seven games on the road beginning Thursday in Alva, Oklahoma, against Northwestern Oklahoma.