SEARCY, Ark. — Sophomore Allie Rehl scored 22 points and freshman Kennedy Stout added 20—season highs for both players—as No. 15 Harding used a massive defensive run to close the first half and pull away for an 81-69 victory over Southeastern Oklahoma State on Thursday night at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House.

The victory was the fifth straight for the Lady Bisons (13-2, 7-2 Great American Conference), who improved to 5-2 at home this season and have now beaten the Savage Storm in four consecutive meetings in Searcy.

With the win, Harding keeps pace in the tight GAC title race. The Lady Bisons remain tied for second place with Arkansas Tech, just one game back of league-leading Northwestern Oklahoma State. Both Tech and Northwestern also picked up victories on Thursday.

Harding had to weather an early storm from Southeastern (5-10, 2-7), specifically from freshman Tori Kilburn. After Harding closed the first quarter on an 8-0 run to lead 24-19, Kilburn exploded in the second period. She scored 13 of her game-high 26 points in the first three minutes of the quarter, fueling a 13-3 run that gave the Savage Storm a 32-27 lead with 7:06 left in the half.

From there, the Lady Bisons' defense took over. Harding responded with a decisive 17-1 run to close the half, holding Southeastern without a field goal for the final 7:06. The defensive clampdown turned a five-point deficit into a 44-35 halftime lead.

Rehl provided the spark off the bench, shooting 6-of-10 from the field and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. It was her first 20-point performance of the season. Stout controlled the paint, connecting on 9-of-15 shots and adding five rebounds and two blocks.

Southeastern managed just one field goal in the final 4:15 of the third quarter, allowing Harding to extend the lead. Stout capped the third period with a momentum-shifting three-point play with just over a second remaining, giving Harding a 61-47 advantage heading into the fourth.

Harding scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to push the lead to 21 points at 68-47, effectively putting the game out of reach.

Freshman point guard Kori Sanders played all 40 minutes for Harding, filling the stat sheet with eight points, seven rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Maddi Holt chipped in 10 points.

Despite Southeastern committing only nine turnovers, Harding capitalized efficiently, outscoring the Savage Storm 17-9 in points off turnovers. The Lady Bisons also won the battle in the paint 30-28 after falling behind in that category early.

Harding shot 48.4 percent from the field and connected on 7-of-19 3-pointers (36.8 percent).

The Lady Bisons return to action Saturday, hosting East Central at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.