RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — Despite a dominant start and a double-digit first-half lead, the Harding Bisons saw their two-game winning streak snapped Thursday night as a second-half scoring drought led to a 64-56 loss to Arkansas Tech at Tucker Coliseum.
Harding (12-5, 8-3 GAC) appeared poised for a road victory after a sharp opening 20 minutes. Behind the steady play of Wesley Booker and Keyln McBride, the Bisons built a 13-point lead late in the first half. A Booker three-pointer at the 4:01 mark gave Harding its largest lead of the night at 29-16, and the Bisons headed to the locker room with a comfortable 33-25 advantage.
However, the second half proved to be a different story as the Bisons' offense went cold. Harding shot just 25% from the floor in the final frame and struggled significantly from the perimeter, going 0-for-10 from three-point range after the break.
The Wonder Boys (7-10, 5-6 GAC) took advantage of the slump, opening the second half with a 14-4 run to reclaim the lead. Arkansas Tech's Aiden Underdown (22 points, 10 rebounds) and David Elliott IV (16 points) led a Tech offense that hit 13 of its 21 shots in the second half.
Harding showed late resilience, clawing back from a 12-point deficit to pull within three. Thompson Camara, who finished with seven points and five rebounds, knocked down a pair of free throws to make it 54-51 with 4:45 remaining. Moments later, Ty Suess hit two free throws to keep the margin at three, 56-53, with just over four minutes left.
The Bisons were unable to bridge the final gap, however, as Tech closed the game on an 8-3 run.
Reggie Webster led the Bisons with 12 points, while Ty Suess and Wesley Booker each added 10. Booker also grabbed eight rebounds in the effort. Ty Suess contributed 10 points and three rebounds before the Bisons' late-game comeback attempt fell short.
Harding is in third place in the Great American Conference standings despite the loss, one game behind Oklahoma Baptist and two back of Ouachita Baptist, its opponent on Monday in Searcy. The game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
