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Harding University Athletics

Will Francis scored 17 points, hitting three 3-pointers.
65
Harding HU 4-2, 2-1 GAC
79
Winner Southern Nazarene SNU 3-4, 2-1 GAC
Harding HU
4-2, 2-1 GAC
65
Final
79
Southern Nazarene SNU
3-4, 2-1 GAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Harding HU 31 34 65
Southern Nazarene SNU 49 30 79

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | by Scott Goode (12/1/16)

Harding Men's Basketball Falls Behind Early, Drops GAC Road Game at Southern Nazarene

BETHANY, Okla. – Southern Nazarene made eight 3-pointers in the first half, built a 22-point lead early in the second half and held on to defeat Harding 79-65 in Great American Conference play Thursday at the Sawyer Center.

Harding lost for the first time in its last five games and fell to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the GAC. Southern Nazarene snapped a two-game skid and improved to 3-4 overall and 2-1 in conference.

Jhonathan Dunn, a freshman from San Antonio, earned his first start for Southern Nazarene and responded with 16 points, connecting on four of the Crimson Storm's eight 3-pointers in the first half.

Senior LB Willis added 16 for Southern Nazarene, and sophomore Noah Starkey, the team's leading scorer this season, added 15.

Junior Tim Wagner, the GAC's leading scorer, led Harding in scoring for the fifth time in six games with 18 points. Senior Will Francis had 17 points and a team-high five assists.

Southern Nazarene got off to a quick start and led 19-8 on a layup by Willis at the 14:09 mark. Harding closed to within five points twice, but Southern Nazarene went on an 11-2 run that included 3-pointers from Dunn and Deshon Portley to lead 36-23 with 7:04 left in the half.

Harding never got the lead below 12 and trailed 49-31 at halftime.

A Willis dunk with 16:20 left in the game gave the Crimson Storm a 57-35 lead, its largest of the game.

The Bisons used a 7-0 run midway through the half to cut the Storm advantage to 66-53, but Harding got no closer.

Southern Nazarene cooled off from 3-point range in the second half, making only 1-of-11 to finish 9-of-23 (39 percent) for the game. Harding entered the game as the GAC's top defense against the 3-pointer, allowing opponents only 26 percent shooting this season.

Harding made 8-of-23 (35 percent) from 3-point range, with Francis hitting 3-of-7.

Southern Nazarene was just 4-of-6 from the free-throw line. The Storm entered with the most free throw attempts in the conference.

Thursday's game was Harding's third this season at the Sawyer Center. The Bisons opened the season in Bethany with a loss to Minnesota State Moorhead and a victory over Northern State in the Central Region Challenge.

Harding continues its road trip to Oklahoma on Saturday at 3 p.m. when it takes on Oklahoma Baptist in Shawnee.
 
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