MONTICELLO, Ark. – A strong start and stifling defense was the perfect mix for Harding's women Thursday against Arkansas-Monticello.

The Lady Bisons held a 13-point lead after one quarter and made life difficult offensively for the Blossoms in a 68-47 Great American Conference victory at Steelman Fieldhouse. It was the eighth time this season Harding held an opponent to fewer than 50 points.

The victory was Harding's fifth straight and moved the Lady Bisons to 22-6 overall and 18-3 in conference play. Harding will be the No. 2 seed in the upcoming GAC Tournament after winning 22 games for the seventh time in program history. The 18 conference victories rank third all-time.

Arkansas-Monticello lost its sixth straight and fell to 9-17 overall and 6-15 in GAC games.

Junior Sage Hawley led Harding with 24 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots. It was her GAC-best 17th double-double. Hawley has scored 538 points this season, good for 10th in an HU single season and the most since Kellie Lampo scored 552 points in the 2018-19 season.

Senior Jacie Evans added 13 points, nine rebounds and four assists, and freshman Tate Wells came off the bench to score 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

Harding shot 47% in the first quarter, and Hawley scored eight points and had five rebounds to lead the Lady Bisons to a 21-8 lead after one period. Arkansas-Monticello shot only 26.7%.

Harding pushed its lead to 33-13 with 3:39 left in the half on a Hawley jumper from the baseline. The Lady Bisons limited the Blossoms to only four field goals in the quarter and led 36-19 at the break.

It was the seventh time this season and the fifth time in the last nine games that Harding held an opponent to fewer than 20 points in the first half.

Harding continued to pull away in the third. The Lady Bisons got 3-pointers from Jacie Evans and Tate Wells in the quarter and led 53-33 entering the fourth.

Harding concludes regular season GAC play Saturday against Henderson State at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House.