ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Freshman Peyton Padgett scored a career-high 16 points and added 10 rebounds to help push Harding past Ouachita Baptist 78-72 in double overtime on Saturday in Great American Conference women's basketball action at Vining Arena.
The victory was Harding's fifth straight and kept the Lady Bisons in first place in the GAC. Harding improved to 11-2 overall and remained perfect in conference at 8-0. Ouachita dropped to 7-7 overall and 4-4 in the GAC. It was the Tigers' first loss in eight home games this season.
Harding had played only one other double overtime game since 1997, an 83-77 loss at Christian Brothers in 2003.
Harding scored two early layups in the second overtime and led the rest of the way. Sophomore Caroline Hogue made a layup on the right side on Harding's first possession, and Padgett had a put-back layup on the left side on the next trip down. An A'ndi Haney 3-pointer with 1:35 left in the second overtime pushed Harding's lead to 75-70. Padgett made one free throw, and Haney hit two down the stretch to seal the victory.
A three-point play by Sydnie Jones with a minute left in the first overtime gave Harding a 65-64 lead, but Ouachita's Chasidee Owens made a free throw with 42 seconds left that sent it to double overtime.
Harding was the team that needed a late shot in regulation to send it to overtime, and sophomore Chelsea Heidebrect delivered, draining a contested 3-pointer from the right wing with 14 seconds remaining to tie the game at 55-55.
The Lady Bisons overcame foul trouble in the two overtime periods, and the Lady Tigers were in the bonus throughout much of the fourth quarter and both overtimes. Ouachita was not whistled for a foul in the fourth quarter, and Harding did not reach the bonus until the last few seconds of the second overtime.
Harding made only 11-of-44 (25 percent) field goal attempts in the first three quarters, but shot 16-of-31 (52 percent) in the fourth quarter and the two overtimes.
Ouachita, who had scored more than 100 points in each of its last two home games, struggled offensively for the entire game--the Tigers were only 18-of-80 (22.5 percent) from the field. Key 3-point shots kept Ouachita in the game, but the Tigers shot 11-of-40 (27.5 percent) from 3-point range.
Harding pulled down a school-record 66 rebounds, breaking the old mark of 64 against Arkansas Baptist on Nov. 19, 1984.
Padgett was one of two Lady Bisons with double-doubles in the game. Haney had 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Sydney Layrock scored 15 points, and Jones scored 13. Hogue had 11 points, nine rebounds, four assists and five blocked shots.
Alivia Huell led Ouachita with 18 points, but shot only 3-of-20 from the field. She was 10-of-12 from the free-throw line. Kori Bullard added 16 points.
Harding has a quick turnaround after the double-overtime victory. The team hosts Arkansas Tech on Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House.
