ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Josie Williams scored 17 points and No. 17 Harding used a dominant third quarter to rally past Ouachita Baptist 75-62 on Thursday night at Bill Vining Arena, handing the Tigers their first conference loss of the season.

Kennedy Stout added 14 points and six rebounds, while Maddi Holt chipped in 12 points for the Lady Bisons (9-2, 3-2 Great American Conference), who bounced back from a loss to Henderson State on Saturday to avoid falling below .500 in league play.

Harding, which trailed by as many as 11 points in the first quarter, seized control coming out of halftime. Trailing 36-32 at the break, the Lady Bisons opened the third quarter with a defensive clinic, outscoring the Tigers 21-10 in the period.

Freshman guard Kori Sanders gave Harding the lead for good at 38-36 on a 3-pointer with 9:10 remaining in the third. Sanders finished with five points, a game-high seven assists and four steals, anchoring a defense that forced 18 Ouachita turnovers.

Ouachita Baptist (6-2, 3-1) started red-hot, shooting 62.5 percent in the first quarter to build a 23-14 lead. Madeleine Tipton led the Tigers with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Heidi Robinson added 13 points. However, Harding's defense clamped down as the game wore on, holding the Tigers to just 21.1 percent shooting (4-of-19) in the fourth quarter.

The difference at the free-throw line was stark. Harding finished 25-of-27 (92.6 percent) from the stripe, including a nearly flawless 13-of-14 effort in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. Ouachita Baptist managed just 9-of-14 from the line for the game.

Allie Rehl provided a crucial spark off the bench for Harding, scoring 10 points and hitting two 3-pointers. Alli McAda added nine points and seven rebounds.

The victory moves the Lady Bisons to 4-0 on the road this season.

Harding returns to action Jan. 3 at home against Southern Arkansas.