SEARCY, Ark. – Bennie Lufile scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Montrell Williams added 18 points, and Justin Graham added 14, but the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys basketball team (9-4, 5-4 Great American Conference) was unable to overcome the offensive performance of the Harding Bisons (8-5, 5-4 GAC), falling 92-85 on Monday night at Rhodes-Reaves Field House.
 
NEXT UP
Arkansas Tech returns to Tucker Coliseum this Thursday, January 19 to face off against Henderson State. A 7:30 p.m. tip-off is scheduled.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The opening minutes of the game were back-and-forth, as the two teams traded leads seven times over the first ten minutes.
• The Bisons pulled ahead by as many as nine (25-16) at the 9:42 mark.
• Montrell Williams hit a bucket at the 6:53 mark to end a nearly three-minute scoring drought and pull Tech to within 27-21.
• The Wonder Boys pulled to within three (29-26) with 4:46 remaining in the opening half after a dunk by Bennie Lufile.
• Tech tied the contest 31-31 at the 1:44 mark on an Alex Brown jumper, and the two teams were tied 35-35 at the half.
• The two teams played even basketball in the opening minutes of the second half, with Tech taking its first lead since the 13:15 mark of the opening half at the 17:19 mark in the second half after a three-point play by Bennie Lufile.
• Harding pressed ahead taking a five-point (58-53) lead with 11:28 to play.
• A 3-pointer by Grant Prusator brought Tech to within two (60-58) with 10:49 remaining, but a foul called on the Wonder Boys put Harding in the double bonus and the Bisons connected on a free throw to take a three-point lead.
• The Bisons stretched the lead out, pulling ahead by double digits (73-61) with 7:21 to play as Will Francis buried a corner 3-pointer.
• Tech cut the deficit to six (87-81) on a Montrell Williams 3-pointer with 55 seconds remaining, but a pair of Harding free-throws on the subsequent possession gave the Bisons an eight-point advantage, and the Wonder Boys were unable to complete the comeback.

 
NOTABLES

• The Wonder Boys made just one of the last ten field goal attempts going into the under-8 media timeout in the first half.
• There were seven ties and seven lead changes in the opening half.
•  Harding outshot Tech 48.3 percent to 36.4 percent.
• Tech held a 45-40 advantage on the rebounding glass.
• There were 12 ties and 15 lead changes in the contest.
• Tech held a 22-11 advantage in second-chance points, while Harding held an 18-14 advantage in bench points and a 40-28 advantage in points in the paint.