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Harding University Athletics

Men's Basketball
97
Winner East Central ECU 8-4,4-2 GAC
87
Harding Hard 5-7,2-4 GAC
Winner
East Central ECU
8-4,4-2 GAC
97
Final
87
Harding Hard
5-7,2-4 GAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
East Central ECU 44 53 97
Harding Hard 39 48 87

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Scott Goode (1/6/24)

Bisons Fight Back, but East Central Secures 97-87 Victory

SEARCY – Sophomore Rylie Marshall scored 19 points and fifth-year senior Abou Gbane added 15, including 11 at the free-throw line, but Harding fell 97-87 to East Central on Saturday in Great American Conference men's action at Rhodes-Reaves Field House.

The loss dropped the Bisons to 5-7 overall and 2-4 in conference. East Central improved to 8-4 overall and 4-2 in the GAC.

Harding scored seven straight points early in the second half to take a brief lead at 48-47. East Central responded by outscoring Harding 19-4 over the next five minutes and led 66-52 with 13:04 left.

Midway through the half, Harding closed the gap to 73-67 with an 8-0 run that included a Sam Henderson 3-pointer and three Gbane free throws. With 9:11 left, Harding trailed 73-67.

Harding pulled within six points late on a 3-pointer from Keyln McBride with 1:52 remaining, but the Bisons got no closer.

Marshall made 8-of-14 shots, including three dunks. Gbane was 11-of-15 at the free-throw line, and J.T. Smith and Brahm Harris added 13 points each. J.T. Smith and McBride both had six assists.

East Central led 44-39 at halftime.

The game was close early, but a 15-3 East Central run over seven-minute stretch gave the Tigers a 27-16 lead with 8:47 left.

Harding scored eight straight points later in the half with Harris hitting 3s on consecutive possessions and Sam Smith adding two free throws to pull the Bisons within one at 33-32 with 4:49 remaining in the half.

East Central answered with an 11-1 run to push its lead back to 11 points at 44-33 before Harding drilled a pair of 3s in the last minute, one from Marshall with 45 seconds left and another from J.T. Smith at the buzzer.

TEAM NOTES
  • Harding had 18 assists and 10 turnovers, its eighth straight game with even or positive assist to turnover ratio.
  • Harding's 87 points marked the fifth time this season the Bisons have scored 80 or more points.
  • Harding made 11 3-pointers, its highest total in a GAC game this season.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
  • Marshall has scored in double figures in 10 consecutive games ... he made three 3-pointers and has at least one 3-pointer in every game ... has multiple 3-pointers in nine games this season.
  • Gbane's 11 free throws made and 15 free throws attempted are both the most by a Harding player this season ... Taylor Currie twice made 11 free throws in a game last season ... Romen Martin was the last Bison to shoot more than 15 free throws in a game, shooting 19 vs. Ouachita Baptist on Dec. 4, 2021.
  • J.T. Smith scored a season-high 13 points, matching his career high set vs. Arkansas-Monticello on Dec. 10, 2022.
  • Harris scored in double figures for the sixth time in his last seven games.
SERIES NOTES
  • ECU leads the series 24-11 overall and 10-7 in Searcy ... the Tigers have won the last 13 meetings.
UP NEXT
  • Harding's next action is on the road Thursday at Southern Nazarene in Bethany, Oklahoma.
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