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Harding University Athletics

Men's Basketball
100
Winner Southeastern Okla. SE 8-5,4-1 GAC
83
Harding Hard 5-6,2-3 GAC
Winner
Southeastern Okla. SE
8-5,4-1 GAC
100
Final
83
Harding Hard
5-6,2-3 GAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Southeastern Okla. SE 55 45 100
Harding Hard 43 40 83

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Scott Goode (1/4/24)

Late Rally Not Enough: Harding Drops Conference Clash to Southeastern, 100-83

SEARCY – Southeastern Oklahoma was able to fend off Harding's comeback attempts and defeated the Bisons 100-83 Thursday in Great American Conference play at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House.

With the loss, Harding fell to 5-6 overall and 2-3 in conference. Southeastern won its third straight and improved to 8-5 overall and 4-1 in conference.

Harding trailed by as many as 19 in the second half and closed to within three with just over seven minutes left, but Southeastern held on.

Fifth-year senior Abou Gbane led Harding with a season-high 20 points. He shot 9-of-14 from the field for his fourth game in double figures.

Sophomore Rylie Marshall made all six of his free throw attempts and scored 17 points. Senior Brahm Harris made two 3-pointers and scored 13 points. J.T. Smith scored a season-high 12 points, and Sam Henderson added 11.

Harding trailed 60-51 after a Smith floater in the lane with 17:15 left. Southeastern scored the next 10 points, connecting on a pair of 3-pointers in the process. The Savage Storm led 70-51 with 15:15 left before Gbane ended the run with an emphatic dunk as part of a three-point play.

With just under 13 minutes left, Gbane hit a layup in the lane that jumpstarted an 8-0 Harding run that pulled the Bisons back to within single digits, trailing 74-65 with just over 11 minutes left.

Harding continued to chip away. Marshall converted a traditional three-point play, and Henderson was fouled after hitting a 3-pointer and made the free throw with 8:34 left to trim the Southeastern lead to 77-74.

Seven straight points from Southeastern built the lead back to 10 and the Savage Storm held off the Bisons for the win.

Southeastern Oklahoma shot 56% in the first half and led 55-43 at halftime.

Gbane and Harris both came off the bench and led Harding with 11 points apiece at halftime.

Harding led briefly early, but one of six Southeastern 3-pointers in the first half gave the Savage Storm the lead that they held the rest of the half.

Harding trailed by 23-11 with 12:56 left, but a 9-0 run by the Bisons cut the Southeastern lead to only three points. Gbane had four points during the run and Harris had three. The Savage Storm held a lead of at least 10 points five times during the first half with the last coming during a 6-0 run to close the half.

TEAM NOTES
  • Harding shot 17 of 21 (81%) from the free-throw line ... it was the fourth time this season Harding shot 80% or higher at the free-throw line.
  • Harding had 15 assists and 12 turnovers ... it was the seventh straight game with an equal or positive assist-to-turnover ratio.
  • Harding's 83 points marked the fourth time this season with 80 points or more.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
  • Gbane's previous scoring high was 14 points at Arkansas-Monticello ... he made a season-high nine field goals.
  • Marshall has scored 10 or more points in nine straight games ... he was 6-of-6 from the free-throw line and has made his last 11 free throws ... he leads HU with 28 made 3-pointers and has at least one in all 11 games.
  • Harris scored in double figures for the seventh time this season and had a season-high six rebounds.
  • Smith tied career highs with six free throws made and six rebounds.
  • Henderson scored in double figures for the seventh time this season.
SERIES NOTES
  • Southeastern leads the series 18-14 overall ... HU leads 10-6 in Searcy ... Southeastern has won the last two games ... the teams meet again on Feb. 3 in Durant.
UP NEXT
  • Harding plays next at home Saturday against East Central. Arkansas Tech defeated East Central 76-43 on Thursday in Russellville.
  • East Central leads the series 23-11 with Harding's last win coming in 2016.

 
Gallery: (1-4-2024) 2023-24 mbball vs. Southeastern

 
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