SEARCY, Ark. — No. 11 Harding overcame its lowest scoring output of the season with a suffocating defensive effort and a dominant third quarter to defeat Southern Nazarene 50-47 on Saturday afternoon at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House.

Kennedy Stout scored 18 points and Kori Sanders dished out a season-high 11 assists as the Lady Bisons (18-3, 12-3 Great American Conference) swept the season series with the Crimson Storm for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

The victory marked just the third time since 2012 that Harding has won a game while scoring 50 or fewer points. The last such occurrence was a 49-46 win over Southern Arkansas in 2016.

Trailing 31-24 at halftime, Harding exploded out of the break. Josie Williams sparked an 18-0 run to open the third quarter, scoring 10 of her 12 points in the second half. The surge turned a seven-point deficit into a 42-31 lead, with Sanders assisting on multiple baskets during the run.

However, Southern Nazarene (7-12, 7-8) responded with a barrage of 3-pointers. Carley Gasaway, who led the Crimson Storm with 15 points off the bench on 5-of-8 shooting from deep, hit three consecutive triples to close the third quarter, cutting Harding's lead to 42-40.

The fourth quarter turned into a defensive grind, with neither team scoring for more than five minutes. Stout finally broke the drought with a three-point play at the 3:29 mark to give Harding a 45-43 lead. After SNU tied the game and briefly retook the lead, Williams tied it at 47-47 with a driving layup with 1:13 remaining.

Stout delivered the go-ahead basket on a left-handed layup with 36 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Harding's defense forced a tough turnaround jumper by Jillian Crawford that missed. Williams secured the rebound, and after a chaotic sequence in the final seconds, hit a free throw with 0.8 seconds left to provide the final margin.

Harding's defense forced 24 turnovers while committing only 11. The Lady Bisons outscored Southern Nazarene 30-12 in the paint.

Sanders added seven rebounds and four steals to her 11 assists. Her assist total was the most by a Harding player since Williams had 12 against Northwestern Oklahoma in 2022.

With the win, Harding improves to 18-11 all-time against Southern Nazarene and remains perfect at home (13-0) against the Crimson Storm in Searcy. The Lady Bisons maintain their position atop the GAC standings pending the result of the Arkansas Tech vs. Oklahoma Baptist game.

Harding returns to action on Monday, Feb. 9, when they host Ouachita Baptist at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.