Highlights and postgame interview with Coach Kirby
BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – The Harding women's basketball team defeated Arkansas-Monticello 59-46 on Saturday to advance to the Great American Conference Tournament Finals for the second straight year. The Lady Bisons improved to 22-6 overall and will play Arkansas Tech at 1 p.m., on Sunday in the Championship.
Senior forward Montana Lewis led Harding with 17 points and had seven rebounds. Lewis also had a hard defensive assignment in guarding first team all-conference player Jordan Goforth of the Cotton Blossoms. Goforth came into the game averaging 18 points per game and Lewis held her to only one made field goal.
It was the second straight game, the Lady Bisons have held their opponents to scoring under 50 points. Harding held Southern Arkansas to 48 points in the first round of the GAC Tournament on Thursday.
Freshman forward Sydney Layrock captured her second double-double of the season for the Lady Bisons with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Layrock made 8-of-12 free throws and was 4-of-8 from the field.
Arkansas-Monticello (14-13) came into the game as the best 3-point shooting team in the GAC. Harding held the Cotton Blossoms to making 3-of-21 from behind the arc (14.3 percent).
After leading by 15 at halftime (37-23), Harding struggled shooting the basketball in the opening minutes of the second half. The Lady Bisons didn't make their first field goal until the 14:10 left. Harding only made five field goals in the second half as they shot 21.7 percent from the field.
The Cotton Blossoms were led by Nelsha Peterson who had 20 points and seven rebounds. Nine of her points came in the first 10 minutes of the game. Nikki Mullen added 11 points for Arkansas-Monticello.
Harding forced 19 Cotton Blossoms' turnovers in the game and turned them into 15 points. The Lady Bisons also had 15 second chance points off 11 offensive rebounds.
Harding will be looking for its first GAC Tournament Championship on Sunday. The Lady Bisons have been to the finals two times but have come up short both times.
