SHAWNEE, Okla. – Harding netted two second-half goals and defeated Ouachita Baptist 2-0 on Friday to advance to the championship game of the 2016 Great American Conference Tournament. The victory is the first postseason win for a Harding program that started in 2000.
Harding (13-6-0) will meet the winner of the Oklahoma Baptist-Southern Nazarene in the title game, Sunday at 2 p.m.
Ouachita (10-8-0) won both meetings with Harding during the regular season and did not allow a goal in either game, but Bison sophomore Jeremy Nwonumah ended the drought with a goal in the 53rd minute Friday. It was Nwonumah's team-leading sixth goal of the season and his second game-winner.
Sophomore forward Matheus Ribeiro tacked on Harding's second goal in the 85th minute on an assist from Drew Anderson. It was also Ribeiro's sixth goal.
Harding limited Ouachita to only two shots on goal, and sophomore goalkeeper Michael Wasson saved them both for his eighth shutout and the team's 10th.
