(SEARCY, AR)---Harding scored 13 of the game's final 15 points as the Lady Bisons (29-3) survived a spirited Central Missouri (24-7) upset bid with a 66-58 victory in an NCAA Division II Central Region semifinal contest.
Riley Rose's basket with 3:06 left snapped a 56-56 tie and put HU ahead for good. A pair of Caroline Hogue free throws pushed the lead to 60-56, and the Lady Bisons salted the game away with six free throws in the final few minutes.
Hogue hit on 8 of 10 field goals to lead Harding with 18 points and chipped in a game-high 10 rebounds. Falan Miller had 14 points and eight rebounds, while Sydnie Jones added 13 points and 10 rebounds.
UCM's Megan Skaggs led all scorers with 20 points. Paige Redmond contributed 13 for the Jennies, while Kayonna Lee notched 10 before fouling out.
The opening period saw three lead changes and a furious pace as UCM held a 22-19 edge after one quarter.
After falling behind 25-20 midway through the second quarter, a 12-2 Harding run keyed by seven Jones points helped the Lady Bisons move out a 32-29 lead at the break.
A Skaggs 3-pointer just before the third quarter horn capped a 14-4 Central Missouri burst that wiped out a 39-31 Harding lead and put the Jennies on top 45-43.
Harding held a 45-28 rebounding advantage, but the scrappy Jennies forced 20 turnovers for a plus-12 margin in that area. HU sank 23 of 47 field goal tries, while UCM was 21 of 68.
The Lady Bisons advance to square off with top-seed Emporia State in Monday's championship tilt. Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m. with a spot in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight on the line.
Notes:
Harding's 29 wins ties a program high (also in 2013-14) ... Harding has won 15 straight games and 23 of its last 24 ... the 15-game winning streak is the second-longest in program history.
