SEARCY, Ark. – Senior Anissa Pounds scored a game-high 17 points, but the No. 7 seed Arkansas Tech Golden Suns (22-8) season came to an end as they fell to second-seeded Harding (28-3) by a final score of 59-46 in the first round of the NCAA Division II Central Region Tournament being played at the Rhodes-Reaves Fieldhouse in Searcy, Ark. Friday night.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Harding jumped out fast, going on a 13-3 run to open the first four minutes of the game.
• Tech was unable to mount much momentum as Harding took a 19-7 lead into the second quarter.
• The Golden Suns chipped into the Harding lead and was able to cut it down to nine at 29-20 with 1:16 to go until halftime, however Harding ended the quarter on a 4-0 run to take a 33-20 lead into the half.
• The Suns struggles continued into the third quarter as Harding outscored Tech 14-6 in the quarter to stretch the lead to 47-26.
• Calli White caught fire in the fourth quarter, scoring eight points in a two-minute stretch midway through the period to cut the deficit to 54-40 with 4:53 left.
• However, the Suns could not cut the lead to fewer than 12 as Harding came away with the 59-46 victory.

 
NOTABLES

• The Golden Suns shot just 30-percent (7-of-23) from the floor in the first half and were 0-of-7 from behind the three-point arc. They also committed nine first-half turnovers. The struggles continued in the third quarter as Tech shot just 15-percent (3-of-19) in the third quarter, but did bounce back in the fourth by shooting 8-of-18 (44-percent) from the floor.
• In her final game as a Golden Sun, Pounds finished with 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the floor and six rebounds.
• Cheyenne North ended her season with a team-high 13 rebounds and four blocked shots. White finished her Arkansas Tech career with eight points, all of which came in the fourth quarter. Kelsey McClure ended her Golden Suns career with seven points and seven rebounds.
• Arkansas Tech ends the season with a 22-8 record and closed it out with its third consecutive 20-plus-win season and third straight trip to the NCAA Central Region Tournament.