WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Sophomore guard Will Francis made a 3-pointer nine seconds into the game and never cooled off, leading Harding to a 79-52 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma on Saturday at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center.

Francis made eight 3-pointers and scored a season-high 28 points.

"It was great to see Will hit those shots," Harding head coach Jeff Morgan said. "He shot them in rhythm, and our guys, especially Reggie Anthony, did a great job of finding him when he was open." Anthony had seven assists and five rebounds.

Harding (12-9, 10-5) won on the road for the second time this season and for the second straight time against Southwestern Oklahoma in Weatherford. The Bisons remained in fourth place in the GAC standings pending the results of later conference games.

"It was incredible to bounce back like we did after losing Thursday night," Morgan said after the Bisons fell 66-65 at Northwestern Oklahoma in the first game of the road trip.

Southwestern (11-10, 5-9) has lost four of its last five and is only 1-5 at home in GAC games this season.

The game was tied 40-40 early in the second half, but Harding went on a 20-2 run over the next five minutes. Southwestern missed seven straight shots during the stretch, while Harding went 7-of-9 from the field.

The Bisons led by as many as 32 points in the second half and outscored the Bulldogs 41-16 after the break. Harding shot 60 percent from the field and made eight 3-pointers in the second half. Southwestern shot only 21 percent after the break and missed all seven 3-point attempts.

Francis was 9-of-13 from the field, including 8-of-10 from 3-point range. He was just one off Harding's 3-point record of nine 3-pointers. Andraz Kavas scored 20 points, his 14th straight game in double figures, and Blake McNair scored 17.

The Bisons made 16 3-pointers in the game, its second-highest total of the season. The Bulldogs shot only 2-of-15 from 3-point range in the game and 4-of-34 on 3-pointers in its two losses to Harding this season.

Harding led by 13 at 36-23 with 5:26 left in the first half on a 3-pointer by McNair, but Southwestern closed the half on a 13-2 run. Harding missed six straight shots before Kavas made a layup with 45 seconds left in the half.

Kenyan Borders made a jumper with two seconds remaining in the half to cut Harding's lead to 38-36 at the break.

Martell Collins led the Bulldogs with 12 points, and Ayo Ojo scored 10.