SEARCY, Ark. — Thompson Camara scored 18 points and Ty Suess added 16 with five steals as Harding tied a school record with its 13th consecutive home victory, defeating East Central 96-62 on Saturday.

The Bisons (12-4, 8-2 Great American Conference) matched a mark previously set by three other squads, including the 1995-96 team which was honored at halftime on its 30th anniversary.

With the win, Harding moves into a tie for second place in the GAC standings with Oklahoma Baptist. Both teams trail conference leader Ouachita Baptist by just one game.

Harding used a clinical shooting performance to pull away, finishing at 52% from the field and a perfect 13-of-13 from the free-throw line. It marked the second time this season the Bisons did not miss a foul shot.

After a back-and-forth opening 10 minutes, Harding broke a 15-12 deficit with an 11-0 run. The Bisons entered the locker room with a 48-34 lead on the strength of 58.1% shooting, their highest mark in a first half this season.

The Bisons opened the second period with eight unanswered points and never looked back. A barrage of three-pointers from Ornette Gaines, Keyln McBride, and Reggie Webster pushed the lead to as many as 36 points. Harding finished with 15 three-pointers, tying a season high.

East Central (7-9, 2-8 GAC) struggled to find offense in the second half, at one point going more than seven minutes without a field goal. Brandon Mann led the Tigers with 20 points, but the team was outrebounded 40-21.

Suess's performance placed him in the program record books as well. He became only the fifth Harding player since 2012 to record at least 15 points and five steals in a single game.

Reggie Webster added 16 points and four assists for the Bisons, while McBride chipped in 11 points and seven assists.

Harding will look to extend its momentum on the road Thursday at Arkansas Tech. The Bisons return to Searcy next Saturday for a marquee home matchup against first-place Ouachita Baptist.