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Harding University Athletics

Harding Men's Basketball
79
Winner Southern Ark. SA 9-3,8-3 GAC
62
Harding Hard 3-7,3-7 GAC
Winner
Southern Ark. SA
9-3,8-3 GAC
79
Final
62
Harding Hard
3-7,3-7 GAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Southern Ark. SA 37 42 79
Harding Hard 31 31 62

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | by Scott Goode (2/12/21)

Harding Falls to Southern Arkansas, 79-62

SEARCY – Southern Arkansas boasts one of the top defenses in Division II and limited Harding to only 39% shooting Friday in a 79-62 victory over the Bisons in Great American Conference men's action at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House.

The loss dropped Harding to 3-7 overall and in the GAC. Southern Arkansas won its fifth straight in the series and improved to 9-3 overall and 8-3 in conference.

"They are a good defensive team and I think they are the best team in the conference in either division," Harding head coach Jeff Morgan said. "They made it really tough on us to get some good looks."

Harding's James Harris converted a three-point play with 4:55 left in the first half to tie the game at 26-26.

The Bisons had only one field goal over the next 10 minutes of clock time and trailed 49-35 with 15:12 left in the game.

Harding connected on five straight shots midway through the second half, and a 3-pointer from Dorian Benkovic trimmed the Southern Arkansas lead to 58-52 with 9:13 left. Josh Perkins hit a layup on Harding's next trip to pull Harding within 58-54 and extend its run to 9-0.

"On the offensive end we did some good stuff during that period," Morgan said. "Too bad those guys kind of ran out of gas, they really looked like a great team on the floor."

The Bisons did not have another field goal until Harris made a 3-pointer with just under a minute left.

During Harding's scoring drought, Aaron Lucas scored 10 straight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and pushed the Mulerider lead to 69-56 with 4:37 left.

Southern Arkansas shot 42% in the first half and led 37-31. Neither led by more than six points in the period. The Muleriders had a 24-13 rebound advantage and held Harding without a field goal over the final five minutes of the first half.

Romio Harvey led Harding in scoring with 15 points. Harris and Jordan West had nine points each.

Harding returns to the Rhodes-Reaves Field House Saturday against Henderson State.




 
 
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