SEARCY, Ark. — Keyln McBride scored a season-high 23 points and dished out eight assists as Harding moved into a tie for third place in the Great American Conference with an 81-60 victory over Southern Nazarene on Saturday at Rhodes-Reaves Field House.
The Bisons (14-7, 10-5 GAC) completed their first season sweep of the Storm since the 2011-12 season and snapped SNU's three-game winning streak in the process. With the victory, Harding and Southern Nazarene (16-6, 10-5 GAC) now sit alone in a tie for third place in the conference standings.
Harding shook off a cold start—missing 13 of its first 16 shots—to shoot 49.2 percent for the game. The Bisons were particularly lethal from beyond the arc, hitting 9-of-18 attempts (50 percent), marking only the second time this season they have hit at least half of their 3s.
McBride was the catalyst for the offensive explosion. His performance marked the third time since 2012 that a Bison has recorded at least 20 points and eight assists in a single game; McBride himself accounts for all three instances.
After Southern Nazarene clawed back to within 32-31 late in the first half, Harding responded with a 9-2 run. Marko Rangan, who finished with 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting, punctuated the half with a layup with three seconds remaining to give the Bisons a 39-31 cushion. Harding closed the opening frame on a 7-0 run, making 11 of their last 16 shots after the slow start.
The Bisons blew the game open early in the second half. Leading 41-35 with 17:30 remaining, Harding ignited an 11-2 spurt fueled by six points from Dylan Hall and a Wesley Booker 3-pointer from the top of the key. The onslaught continued through the middle of the period as Harding outscored the Storm 19-6 over a nine-minute stretch to push the lead to 62-41.
Harding's lead grew to as many as 25 points following a Dylan Munroe layup and free throw with 6:14 left to play.
Booker finished with 14 points and five rebounds, while Hall added nine points and four assists off the bench. Harding dominated the interior, outscoring SNU 42-26 in the paint and winning the rebounding battle 35-28.
Southern Nazarene was led by Baron Bracey, who finished with 12 points and five rebounds, and James Burries, who added 11 points off the bench. The Storm struggled from the perimeter, hitting just 3-of-19 (15.8 percent) from 3-point range.
The win provides a crucial bounce-back for Harding, which had suffered its first home loss of the season just two nights prior.
The Bisons will face another major test at home Monday, hosting GAC leader Ouachita Baptist at Rhodes-Reaves Field House. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
