FORT SMITH, Ark. – Defending champion Harding used a dominant second-half performance and a balanced scoring attack to defeat Southeastern Oklahoma 77-59 in the quarterfinals of the Great American Conference Tournament on Friday at the Stubblefield Center.

The victory is the ninth straight for the Bisons (22-7), who advance to the GAC semifinals for the second consecutive year and the sixth time in program history. Harding will face No. 2 seed Ouachita Baptist on Saturday at 2:15 p.m.

Reggie Webster led the Bisons with 17 points, including a baseline dunk that sparked a key second-half run. Thompson Camara added 15 points and six rebounds, while Marko Rangan provided a major spark off the bench with 13 points and four rebounds.

While Harding led 31-25 at the break, the Savage Storm (9-20) refused to go away early in the second half. Led by Ethan Wilkerson, who finished with a game-high 26 points, Southeastern cut the Harding lead to just three points, 51-48, with 8:48 remaining.

Harding responded with a clinical 14-0 run to put the game out of reach. The surge began at the free-throw line, where Wesley Booker and Marko Rangan combined for six straight points, followed by a Keyln McBride three-pointer and a Camara put-back. By the time the run ended, the Bisons held a 65-48 lead with under five minutes to play.

The Bisons dominated the interior in the final 20 minutes, outscoring the Storm 24-14 in the paint during the second half. Harding also capitalized on second-chance opportunities, winning that category 18-6 for the game.

McBride finished with nine points on three triples, moving his career total to 251. Booker and Ty Suess anchored the rebounding effort with nine boards apiece, helping Harding to a 35-22 advantage on the glass.

STAT LINE OF THE GAME: Harding shot 50% from the floor in the second half and 13-of-15 from the free-throw line during the final period to seal the victory.