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Harding University Athletics

50
Southern Ark. F-1376
78
Winner Harding F-1116
Southern Ark. F-1376
50
Final
78
Harding F-1116
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Southern Ark. F-1376 14 5 12 19 50
Harding F-1116 23 28 12 15 78

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | by Scott Goode (12/1/18)

Early 3s and Solid Defense Key Harding Victory over Southern Arkansas

SEARCY – Harding held Southern Arkansas without a field goal for more than 11 minutes of clock time and defeated the Muleriders 78-50 Saturday in Great American Conference action at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House.

The win was the fifth straight for Harding (6-1, 2-0), who won for the 11th consecutive time at home. Southern Arkansas (1-5, 0-2) lost for the 17th time in its last 19 games against Harding.

Southern Arkansas' Jerica Bell made a jumper with 5:16 left in the second quarter to cut Harding's lead to 36-18. The Lady Bisons held the Muleriders without another field goal until the 4:01 mark of the third quarter. During the SAU drought, Harding outscored Southern Arkansas 23-1 to pull out to a 59-19 lead.

In its last three games, Southern Arkansas had only allowed 10 3-pointers, Harding nearly matched that in the first half, connecting on a season-high nine 3-pointers.

Cheyenne Brown led Harding in scoring for the second straight game and for the third time this season with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Brown also made five of Harding's seven free throws.

Kennedy Cooper had 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds for her first career double-double. Peyton Padgett made three 3-pointers in a game for the first time in her career and scored a season-high 13 points. Amanda Kearney made four 3-pointers, all in the first half, and scored 12. Carissa Caples contributed a career-high 10 assists.

Harding shot a season-high 56.4 percent and outscored Southern Arkansas 44-20 in the paint.

Southern Arkansas shot 31.0 percent from the field, the seventh straight Harding opponent this season to shoot less than 40 percent.

With the win, Harding joined Southwestern Oklahoma and Henderson State as the only three GAC teams to win their first two conference games. Harding is at Henderson State next Saturday in Arkadelphia for a 1 p.m. tipoff.

FACTS AND FIGURES
  • Harding is 2-0 to open GAC play for the sixth time in the conference's eight seasons
  • Harding is 4-0 at home this season and has won 11 straight dating to last season
  • Tim Kirby is now 23-5 vs. SAU overall and 13-1 at home
  • Harding leads the series with SAU 46-22 and has won 17 of the last 19 meetings
  • Harding has outscored its opponents 148-57 in the first quarter
  • Harding held SAU to 31.0 percent shooting and has held every opponent below 40 percent
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