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Harding University Athletics

HU Women's Basketball
68
Northwestern Okla. NW 15-3,7-3 GAC
76
Winner Harding Hard 14-2,9-1 GAC
Northwestern Okla. NW
15-3,7-3 GAC
68
Final
76
Harding Hard
14-2,9-1 GAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Northwestern Okla. NW 17 15 16 20 68
Harding Hard 19 15 14 28 76

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Scott Goode (1/20/24)

Bombs-Away Bailey Sends Lady Bisons Past Northwestern Oklahoma; HU Wins 21st Straight at Home

SEARCY – Kendrick Bailey and Harley Harbour both had career highs in scoring, and No. 16 Harding made free throw after free throw after free throw down to the stretch to hold off No. 10 Northwestern Oklahoma in a ferocious battle in Great American Conference women's basketball action at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House.

The victory gave Harding a school-record 21 consecutive home wins and pushed the Lady Bisons to 14-2 overall and 9-1 in conference play. Northwestern Oklahoma fell to 15-3 overall and 7-3 in conference. It was Harding's 11th straight home victory over Northwestern.

After trailing most of the game, Northwestern Oklahoma for a two-minute stretch midway through the fourth quarter. Then Harding started getting to the free-throw line.

Rory Geer and Kendrick Bailey made two free throws each and put Harding ahead to stay. Bailey's free throws gave Harding a 65-62 lead with 2:30 left.

Bailey then connected on her career-high sixth 3-pointer with 1:46 left to give the Lady Bisons a 68-64 advantage. From that point on, Harding was 8 of 8 from the free throw line and fended off Northwestern.

Bailey made 6 of 6 from 3-point range for a career-high 22 points. Harbour was 5 of 5 from the field and made 6 of 7 free throws for a career-high 16 points. Rory Geer made all four of her free throws and scored 12 points, and Josie Williams dished out a career-high 12 assists.

Harding shot 18 of 19 at the free throw line and tied its season high with 12 3-pointers.

Harding made three 3-pointers early and led 15-10 at the first media timeout.

The Lady Bisons shot 50% in the first quarter but went without a field goal over the final 4:50 of the quarter.

Consecutive layups from Harbour pushed Harding's lead to 26-19, matching the Lady Bisons' largest lead at that point, with 6:57 left in the quarter. Two Aubrey Isbell free throws later pushed the lead to 34-26 with 2:21 left, but Northwestern scored the final six points of the half, leaving Harding with a 34-32 halftime lead.

Harding made six 3-pointers in the first half, and Northwestern led 20-10 on paint points.

Harding extended its lead to 10 points at 44-34 on Bailey's second 3-pointer of the quarter. The Lady Bisons then went cold from the field, missing four straight shots, and the quarter ended with the game tied at 48-48.

Harding again built early leads in the fourth quarter but missed five straight shots and a Northwestern 3-pointer with 4:58 left gave the Rangers their first lead since early in the first quarter.

TEAM NOTES
  • Harding made 12 3-pointers and shot 52.2% from 3-point range ... the last time made 10 or more 3-pointers and shot over 50% was in an 87-69 win over Arkansas Tech on Feb. 13, 2020, when the Lady Bisons shot 14 of 24 (58.3%) on 3-pointers.
  • Harding made 18 of 19 free throws (94.7%), the third-best free-throw percentage in a game with a minimum of 10 made ... HU shot 23 of 23 vs. Lindenwood in 1994 and 11 of 11 against Southern Arkansas in 2023.
  • Harding set a school record with its 21st straight home win ... the streak started with a 66-51 win over Ouachita Baptist on Dec. 1, 2022 ... the previous record of 20 straight wins came from Feb. 27, 2016-Dec. 2, 2017 and ended with an 84-73 loss to Southwestern Oklahoma.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
  • Kendrick Bailey scored a career-high 22 points, her first career 20-point game ... Bailey made 6 of 6 3-pointers to become the first Lady Bison ever to make six or more 3-pointers in a game without a miss ... her six 3-pointers are tied for eighth in an Harding single game and only the 10th time a Harding player has made six or more 3-pointers in a home game ... the last Lady Bison to make six or more 3-pointers in a game was Carissa Caples at Northwestern Oklahoma on Feb. 29, 2020.
  • Harley Harbour had a career-high 16 points, topping her previous high of 13 points vs. East Central on Jan. 6 ... she is 8 of 8 from the field in the last two games.
  • Josie Williams had a career-high 12 assists, tied for fifth in a single game at Harding and the most since Peyton Padgett had 13 assists vs. Northwestern Oklahoma on Jan. 23, 2020 ... it was the most assists ever by a Harding freshman.
  • Rory Geer had 12 points for her 10th game of the season in double figures.
SERIES NOTES
  • Harding leads the series 20-2 overall and 11-0 in Searcy ... the home team has won the last five meetings between the two teams.
UP NEXT
  • The Lady Bisons go on the road Thursday to take on Arkansas Tech at Tucker Coliseum in Russellville.

 
Gallery: (1-20-2024) 2023-24 wbball vs. Northwestern Okla.

 
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