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Harding University Athletics

HU Men's Basketball
56
Southwestern Okla. SWO 5-9,5-4 GAC
60
Winner Harding Hard 6-9,3-6 GAC
Southwestern Okla. SWO
5-9,5-4 GAC
56
Final
60
Harding Hard
6-9,3-6 GAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Southwestern Okla. SWO 23 33 56
Harding Hard 31 29 60

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

Marshall's Sharpshooting Leads Harding to a 60-56 Victory Over Southwestern Oklahoma

SEARCY – Sophomore Rylie Marshall made four 3-pointers and scored 22 points, and senior Sam Smith had 13 points and 10 rebounds to lead Harding to a 60-56 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma in Great American Conference men's basketball action at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House.

Harding improved to 6-9 overall and 3-6 in conference. Southwestern Oklahoma dropped to 5-9 overall and 5-4 in the GAC. It was Harding's first home win over Southwestern since a 77-50 victory on Nov. 19, 2016.

The score was tied six times in the first half, the last coming with 4:27 left at 21-21. Harding closed the half on a 13-2 run and scored the final eight points before the break to lead 31-23.

Harding shot 42% in the first half and held Southwestern to 32%. The Bulldogs made only one of their last nine shots.

Marshall's 3-pointer early in the second half pushed Harding's lead to 36-23. An 8-0 Southwestern run trimmed the Bisons' advantage to four points before Marshall ended the run with a right-corner 3-pointer and a left-wing 3-pointer on consecutive possessions that pushed Harding's lead to 44-34 with 13:46 remaining.

Using a slow-down, half-court style, Harding held a lead of at least five points until Southwestern hit a 3-pointer with 37 seconds left to cut the Bisons' lead to 56-53.

J.T. Smith and Keyln McBride made free throws with less than 32 seconds left, and Harding led 58-55 with 1.7 seconds left. A foul on a 3-point attempt left Southwestern with a chance to tie, but only one of the free throws fell, and Sam Henderson made two free throws with 0.4 remaining to seal the victory.

TEAM NOTES
  • Harding led 31-23 at halftime ... it was Harding's largest halftime lead in a GAC game this season.
  • Harding held Southwestern to 23 points in a half, the fewest points in a half by a Harding opponent since limiting Ark.-Monticello to 22 points in the first half on Feb. 23, 2023.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
  • Marshall scored more than 20 points for the second time this season and in his career.
  • Sam Smith's 13-point, 10-rebound double-double was his fourth of the season.
  • Brahm Harris had a career-high tying 10 rebounds.
SERIES NOTES
  • Harding leads 16-14 overall and 9-6 in Searcy.
UP NEXT
  • Harding will play again at home Saturday at 3 p.m. against Northwestern Oklahoma.

 
Gallery: (1-18-2024) 2023-24 mbball vs. Southwestern Okla.
 
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