SEARCY, Ark. — The No. 7 Harding women's basketball team turned in a near-perfect performance from the free-throw line to withstand a defensive showcase from Southwestern Oklahoma State, defeating the Lady Bulldogs 73-62 on Thursday night in the Great American Conference opener for both teams.

Harding (7-0, 1-0 GAC) made 23 of 24 free throws, including 11-of-12 in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. The 95.8% clip ranked as the fourth-best single-game percentage in program history.

Junior guard Josie Williams led the effort at the stripe, hitting all 11 of her attempts—the best free-throw performance of her career—on her way to 16 points, a team-high nine rebounds, and five assists.

Freshman Allie Rehl provided the offensive spark off the bench, leading the Lady Bisons with a career-high 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range.

Southwestern Oklahoma State (2-4, 0-1) was led by center Landry Allen, who scored a game-high 24 points and had six blocked shots. Allen's rim protection helped SWOSU outscore Harding 38-24 in the paint, but the Lady Bulldogs struggled to capitalize at the line, shooting just 7-of-13 (53.8%).

Kori Sanders played the full 40 minutes for Harding, finishing with 16 points, six assists, and five rebounds. Maddi Holt added 13 points and three 3-pointers, while Kennedy Stout battled through Allen's interior defense to post 10 points and eight rebounds.

Harding held a 40-33 lead at halftime after shooting 66.7% from the floor in the second quarter. The Lady Bisons maintained their lead throughout the second half, though SWOSU cut the deficit to five points at 64-59 with 3:08 remaining in the fourth quarter following a 3-pointer by Allen.

Harding responded with composure, closing the game on a 9-3 run entirely from the free-throw line. Stout, Sanders, and Williams combined to hit seven of eight free throws in the final 2:33 to ice the game.

The Lady Bisons won the rebounding battle 39-31 and committed 17 turnovers to SWOSU's 16. Harding shot 43.1% from the field and 38.1% from deep, while holding the Lady Bulldogs to 29.4% shooting from beyond the arc.

The victory extends Harding's season-opening winning streak to seven games. The Lady Bisons return to the Rhodes-Reaves Field House on Saturday to host Northwestern Oklahoma State. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.