RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - Ashley Breathitt's layup off an offensive rebound in the closing seconds of the game were her only points of the contest, but proved to be the most clutch basket of the night for the Arkansas Tech Golden Suns basketball team (9-5, 6-4 Great American Conference) won an 87-85 thriller over Henderson State (11-5, 6-4) on Saturday at Tucker Coliseum. 

NEXT UP

• The Golden Suns host Southwestern Oklahoma on Thursday, January 23 at Tucker Coliseum. A 5:30 p.m. tip-off is scheduled. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Tech opened the game on a 9-2 run, capped by a Ke'Vonshaye Stackhouse layup with 6:43 to play in the opening quarter.
• Henderson State rallied to knot the game at 15-15 with 2:39 to play and extended its own lead to six (21-15) with 37 seconds to play in the quarter, before the Golden Suns scored the final five points of the quarter to pull to within 21-20 at the end of the first. 
• Tech reclaimed the lead in the opening minutes of the second quarter and surged ahead, claiming a nine-point (38-29) lead with two minutes to play, taking a six-point (40-34) lead at half.
• The Golden Suns again held HSU at arm's length in the third quarter, opening up a nine-point (63-54) advantage with under a minute to play before taking a five-point (63-58) lead into the fourth. 
• The Reddies scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to the game at 63-63 with 8:41 to play. 
• After the Golden Suns reclaimed the advantage on a Sarah Heard jumper with 8:23 to play, Hailey Estes buried a 3-pointer to put the Reddies ahead 66-65 with 8:15 remaining. 
• Henderson stretched its lead to eight (73-65) with 7:09 to play, and led by as many as that same margin (76-68) with 5:57 to play. 
• Tech rallied, using a Heard 3-pointer with 2:59 to play to reclaim the lead, 80-78.
• Estes answered with another 3-pointer on the next possession to give the Reddies an 81-80 lead with 2:22 remaining, but Lycia Peevy drove with a layup to again put the Golden Suns ahead on the next trip. 
• After a split free throw trip by Henderson tied the game with 1:45 to play, Heard again gave the Golden Suns a lead with a 3-pointer. 
• The Reddies tied the game with 48 seconds to play on a layup by Estes. 
• Peevy went to the line to shoot two with the game tied and 15 seconds to play. After missing both, Breathitt's offensive rebound set up the game-winning basket, and Henderson was held on the final possession to seal the Arkansas Tech win.

NOTABLES

• Heard led all players with 24 points off the bench. She added six boards.
• Kaley Shipman (15 points), Lycia Peevy (14 points, 13 rebounds), Brenda da Silva (12 points), and Stackhouse (11 points) all reached double figures in scoring. 
• Tech outshot Henderson 49.3 to 39.4 percent, and held a 47-41 rebounding edge. 
• Shipman led all players with seven assists. 
• Henderson held a 19-15 edge in points off turnovers and a 20-11 edge in fast-break points, but the Golden Suns held a 50-38 advantage in points in the paint and a 38-23 advantage in bench points. The two teams were even with 15 second chance points apiece. 
• There were six ties and six lead changes.