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Harding University Athletics

HU Women's Basketball
72
Southwestern Okla. SWO 8-7,5-4 GAC
79
Winner Harding Hard 13-2,8-1 GAC
Southwestern Okla. SWO
8-7,5-4 GAC
72
Final
79
Harding Hard
13-2,8-1 GAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Southwestern Okla. SWO 16 24 13 19 72
Harding Hard 24 18 17 20 79

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Scott Goode (1/18/24)

Harding Women's Basketball Triumphs with Record-Tying 20th Consecutive Home Victory

SEARCY – Hitting a season-high 29 free throws, the No. 16 Harding women's basketball team fended off a relentless Southwestern Oklahoma squad and defeated the Bulldogs 79-72 for its school-record tying 20th straight home victory Thursday in Great American Conference action at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House.

The win pushed Harding to 13-2 overall and 8-1 in conference play. Southwestern fell to 8-7 overall and 5-4 in the GAC.

Josie Williams led Harding with 19 points, hitting three of the Lady Bisons' four 3-pointers. Aubrey Isbell shot 6-of-9 and scored 18 points, and Rory Geer notched her fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds. The trio of Williams, Isbell and Geer combined to shoot 17-of-17 at the free-throw line.

Sage Hawley had 11 points and 11 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season and 47th of her career. Hawley also became the eighth Lady Bison ever with more than 1,500 career points.

Harding hit eight shots (57.1%) and made 8 of 10 free throws in the first quarter and led 24-16 after one period. Southwestern made only one 3-pointer and committed nine fouls.

Southwestern scored 10 straight points in the second quarter and tied the game at 30-30 with 4:10 left in the first half. The game was tied again at 40-40 late in the second quarter, but HU's Katelyn Kabrich made two free throws with 1.5 seconds left to give the Lady Bisons a 42-40 halftime lead.

Harding made 16 of 20 (80%) free throws in the first half, and Southwestern made all 10 of its attempts.

Williams connected on a left-wing 3-pointer, and Geer had two put-back layups to kickstart a 7-0 Harding run early in the third quarter. Harding led 51-42 with 6:23 remaining.

Another Williams 3-pointer gave Harding its largest lead of the game at 58-46 with 4:14 left in the third. Southwestern closed the quarter on a 7-1 run, and Harding led only 59-53 entering the fourth.

Isbell's blow-by layup followed by a 3-pointer from the left corner pushed Harding's lead to 64-55 with 7:34 left.

Southwestern chipped away and pulled within one point twice, the last time at 69-68 with 3:44 left. Williams drilled another left-corner 3-pointer with 2:28 left, and Harding made five free throws in the final 77 seconds to hold on.

TEAM NOTES
  • Harding last won 20 consecutive home games from Feb. 27, 2016-Dec. 2, 2017 with the streak ending with an 84-73 loss to Southwestern Oklahoma ... it is tied for the fourth-longest active home winning streak in Division II.
  • Harding made a season-high 29 free throws ... it was the most free throws ever made by Harding in a GAC game ... the last time the Lady Bisons made more free throws in a game was on Feb. 26, 2011, when Harding made 34 of 44 free throws at Henderson State
  • Harding held a 40-23 rebound margin, the ninth time this season the Lady Bisons had an advantage of 16 or more rebounds.
  • Harding had 15 turnovers, the team's eighth straight game with 15 or fewer.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
  • Sage Hawley had 11 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, her first 10-10-5 game of the season and the fifth of her career ... she became the first Lady Bison with more than 1,500 career points since Sydney Layrock reached that mark in 2018.
  • Rory Geer had her fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds, including a team-leading five offensive rebounds ... her 12 rebounds matched a season high.
  • Josie Williams went 8-of-8 from the free throw line for the second time this season ... she is shooting 91.1% from the line this season ... Williams made three 3-pointers, her fourth game this season with three or more 3s.
  • Aubrey Isbell scored 18 points, her eighth time in double figures in her last 10 games.
SERIES NOTES
  • Southwestern leads the series 19-16 ... HU has won the last three ... HU leads 12-3 in Searcy and has won the last four meetings.
UP NEXT
  • Harding hosts nationally ranked Northwestern Oklahoma on Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
Gallery: (1-18-2024) 2023-24 wbball vs. Southwestern Okla.

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