SEARCY, Ark. — Natalie Cardenas scored 22 points and Henderson State rallied in the fourth quarter to hand No. 12 Harding a 69-66 loss Saturday evening at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House.

In a matchup of Great American Conference contenders, the Reddies (8-1, 3-1 GAC) bounced back from their first loss of the season on Thursday by outscoring the Lady Bisons 23-17 in the final period.

Brynlee Huggins added 19 points for Henderson State. Kori Sanders led Harding (8-2, 2-2) with 22 points and seven rebounds, playing all 40 minutes.

The game lived up to its billing as a heavyweight fight, featuring 14 lead changes and 10 ties. Harding took a 49-46 lead into the fourth quarter and held a slim 62-61 advantage after a Sanders layup with 1:36 remaining.

Henderson State responded in the final minute. Huggins converted a go-ahead layup with 29 seconds left to make it 66-64 (Harding foul shots/possessions in between adjusted score). After a defensive stop, Cardenas sealed the win with two free throws with seven seconds remaining. Harding had one final chance to tie, but Kennedy Stout's jumper missed the mark with five seconds on the clock.

Despite entering the game with a significant statistical disadvantage on the boards, Harding dominated the glass, outrebounding Henderson State 46-35. However, the Lady Bisons struggled to find their rhythm from the perimeter, shooting just 1-for-9 (11.1%) from 3-point range.

Josie Williams finished with 15 points and nine rebounds for Harding. Stout added eight points and eight boards. Freshman forward Alli McAda, coming off a 30-point performance on Tuesday, was held to five points on 2-of-9 shooting.

Grayson Fairless grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for the Reddies, who shot 88.9% (16-of-18) from the free-throw line to secure the road victory.