MAGNOLIA, Ark. – On a night defined by historical sharpshooting and defensive pressure, the Harding Bisons extended their winning streak to four games with a 79-66 victory over Southern Arkansas on Saturday at W.T. Watson Center.
The victory not only moved the Bisons to 17-7 overall (13-5 GAC) but also marked their third consecutive road win in Magnolia. The win snapped a three-game winning streak for Southern Arkansas.
Senior guard Keyln McBride etched his name deeper into the Harding record books early in the first half. With 17:49 remaining, McBride connected on his 231st career three-pointer, tying Jacob Gibson for second place in program history. He wouldn't stay tied for long, later surpassing Gibson with another triple at the 2:37 mark.
McBride finished with a team-high 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including four three-pointers, while adding seven assists and three steals.
The Bisons took control early and never trailed. After a competitive opening ten minutes, Harding utilized an 8-2 run fueled by a Thompson Camara triple and interior finishes from Marko Rangan and Dylan Hall to stretch the lead.
Harding's defense stifled the Muleriders, holding them scoreless for a five-and-a-half-minute stretch late in the period. The Bisons closed the half with a barrage of perimeter shots, including two from Ty Suess and a buzzer-beating trey from Wesley Booker to take a 38-22 lead into the locker room.
Harding forced nine Mulerider turnovers in the first half, converting those into seven points while committing only three turnovers of their own.
The Bisons opened the second half on a 7-0 run, capped by a Reggie Webster tip-in that gave Harding its largest lead of the game at 45-22 with 17:11 remaining.
Southern Arkansas refused to go quietly, responding with a 7-0 run of their own to cut the deficit to 15 at the 12:19 mark. However, Harding immediately answered out of a timeout as Ty Suess knocked down his fourth three-pointer of the game to restore momentum.
The Muleriders relied on a late flurry from Jair Horton, who scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half, but the Bisons answered every SAU bucket with efficient shooting.
For the second consecutive game, Harding connected on 14 three-pointers, shooting 46.7% from beyond the arc. The Bisons finished with four players in double figures:
Southern Arkansas (10-14, 7-11 GAC) was led by Chase Jenkins, who scored 16 points off the bench, and Roderick Williams Jr., who added 9 points and 5 rebounds.
The Bisons remain in third place in the Great American Conference standings and have evened their road record to 4-4 on the year. Harding will look to keep the momentum going as they travel to Ada, Oklahoma, to face East Central on Thursday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
