WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Southwestern Oklahoma's Shalie McAlister made her only shot of the game with 19 seconds remaining, a layup on an in-bounds play. It proved to be the game-winner as Southwestern gave No. 21 Harding its first Great American Conference loss of the season 80-79 on Thursday at the Pioneer Cellular Events Center.
Southwestern remained undefeated in six games at home and improved to 11-6 overall and 7-4 in conference games. Harding lost for the first time in its last nine games and fell to 14-3 overall and 11-1 in the GAC. Harding holds a one-game lead over Arkansas Tech for first place in the GAC standings.
Harding used a 27-point third quarter to take a 60-57 lead entering the fourth. The Lady Bisons opened the quarter with consecutive 3-pointers from Falan Miller and Sydney Layrock. Harding led 76-70 with 2:22 left, but Southwestern's Taylor Hedrick made two 3-pointers, and Tyra Aska added a layup to tie the game 78-78 with 1:09 remaining. Neither team scored again until McAlister's layup.
Layrock made one of two free throws on Harding next possession, and Harding grabbed the rebound on the miss. Harding's last attempt was blocked at the buzzer.
Sophomore Sydnie Jones led Harding with a career-high 22 points and added nine rebounds. Caroline Hogue scored 18 points, had 16 rebounds and added a season-high seven blocked shots, the second-most in a single game by a Lady Bison. Layrock scored 13 points.
Hailey Tucker scored 19 points to lead Southwestern.
With 3:10 left in the second quarter, Harding trailed 35-19, their largest deficit of the game. Southwestern led 37-24 with 1:58 left in the half before sophomore Chelsea Heidebrecht connected on Harding's first two 3-pointers of the half. Jones hit a free throw, and Hogue made a layup on an in-bounds pass down the stretch to pull Harding within 40-33 at halftime. The Lady Bisons were within seven in spite of shooting only 27 percent in the half.
Harding led Southwestern 36-26 in the paint, 14-3 off turnovers and 17-7 on second-chance points. The Lady Bisons had only two turnovers in the game and 20 assists.
Southwestern's advantage came at the foul line, outscoring Harding 23-13.
Harding was 29-of-87 (33.3 percent) from the field, setting a school record for field-goal attempts.
Harding will play its third of three straight road games Saturday at 1 p.m. against Northwestern Oklahoma in Alva.
