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Harding University Athletics

Harding Men's Basketball
Jeff Montgomery
98
Winner Arkansas Tech ATUM 11-4, 5-4 GAC
94
Harding HU 1-13, 1-8 GAC
Winner
Arkansas Tech ATUM
11-4, 5-4 GAC
98
Final
94
Harding HU
1-13, 1-8 GAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Arkansas Tech ATUM 39 59 98
Harding HU 32 62 94

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | by Scott Goode (1/15/18)

Spirited Comeback Falls Short, Tech Defeats Harding 98-94

SEARCY – Harding rallied from a 13-point deficit with just over seven minutes left and pulled within two points twice in the final 22 seconds before falling 98-94 to Arkansas Tech on Monday in a game streamed worldwide by ESPN.

The teams combined for 121 points in the second half. Harding shot 62 percent and scored 62 points, its highest scoring half of the season. Tech shot 52 percent and made 20 free throws to score 59 second-half points.

After both teams struggled with their shooting early in the game, no one would have thought both teams would come anywhere near the 100-point mark. Harding made only one of its first 16 shots in the game and was just 9 of 25 (25.7 percent) from the field in the first half.

The Bisons had some success from long range in the first half, hitting six 3-pointers to keep the game close. Tech lead 39-32 at the break.

The teams combined to hit 15 3-pointers in the second half, six of them coming from Arkansas Tech's RJ Glasper over a four-minute stretch. Two of Glasper's 3-pointers came from behind the NCAA logo on Clancey Court and resembled old-school set shots, more like heaves than jumpers. Glasper had seven total 3-pointers in the second half and eight in the game and finished with 35 points.

Harding's Tim Wagner made two early 3-pointers in the second half, with Harding's other six coming from Zac Ward and Alex Francis, who made three each.

Harding attempted 42 3-pointers in the game, breaking the previous school record of 40 against Texas A&M-Commerce in 2015. At one point late in the first half, Harding attempted 12 consecutive 3-pointers.

Harding made a season-high 14 3-pointers, and Tech had 15, the most by a Harding opponent this season.

Harding's last 3-pointer came from Francis with 22 seconds left and cut Tech's lead to 95-93. The Bisons fouled Josiah Thomas after the in-bounds pass, and Thomas made one free throw to give the Wonder Boys a three-point lead.

Tech intentionally fouled Reggie Anthony before the Bisons could attempt a potential game-tying 3-pointer. Anthony made one free throw, and Harding was forced to foul Tech's Trevin Woods, an 89 percent free-throw shooter. Woods made both free throws to seal the victory.

Harding made its last substitution of the game with 10:30 left, and the Bisons made their run with a lineup that included Ward, Anthony and three freshmen—Francis, Brandon Reeves and Tyler Roth.

Ward shot 8 of 15 and made four 3-pointers, scoring a career-high 20 points. He was one of six Harding players with 10 or more points. Francis (12) and Reeves (10) also had career highs, and Anthony had 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

The loss dropped Harding to 1-13 overall and 1-8 in the Great American Conference. Tech improved to 11-4 overall and 5-4 in conference, defeating Harding in Searcy for the first time since 2014.

Harding will return to the road Thursday when it plays Henderson State in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.




 
 
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