RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech women's basketball team secured their spot in the upcoming Great American Conference Tournament on Thursday night thanks to a thrilling 67-66 win over Henderson State inside Tucker Coliseum.
With one more game left in the regular season to be played, the Golden Suns are currently tied for fifth place in the standings at 10-11 in league play. By the end of action on Saturday, fifth is the highest they can be as the top-four seeds have already been secured, but the Golden Suns will get everything and then some from their opponents on Saturday, Southern Arkansas, as the Muleriders are currently tied for eighth in the standings themselves and need a win to secure their invitation to the tournament.
Against the Reddies, the Golden Suns used a big second quarter and fourth quarter to help lift them to the win.
The second quarter saw the Golden Suns out-score Henderson, 19-12, to help flip a four-point deficit at the end of the first quarter into a three-point lead at the break.
Third quarter action was back and forth as the lead changed hands on five occasions. The last of those changes went in favor of Henderson as their top-scorer on the season, Ashley Farrar made a painted jumper with just under 20 seconds left in the period. That bucket gave the Reddies a 42-41 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
In the final period, the Golden Suns flipped the switch offensively and turned in their most efficient and productive quarter of the game as they shot 57% overall from the floor, which included 2-of-2 from three-point range. The Golden Suns also missed just one free throw in nine attempts in the final quarter to help keep the Reddies at-bay.
The efficient offense really showed out for the Golden Suns about halfway through the fourth as they went on a 12-2 run to surge out to a 10-point lead, 62-52, with just under a minute and a half to play.
Alex Hill sparked the game-deciding run with a clutch three-pointer that broke a 50-all tie with just over four minutes left.
Hill then added a pair of free throws shortly thereafter to really get the run going.
Hayleigh Wyrick chipped in a jumper while
ClaraGrace Prater completed an old-fashioned three-point play to close the run.
The Reddies would make one more strong run at the Tech lead and were able to get the deficit down to three with under 10 seconds left. After getting that close, the Reddies fouled
Dana Thompson on the ensuing in-bounds and the senior split her trip to the line to give Tech a four-point lead, which proved to be essential as the Reddies made a three-pointer as time expired to make the final margin of victory for Tech just a point, 67-66.
Statistically, the Golden Suns had four players score in double figures with Hill leading the way with 15. Prater and
Julie Wagner were next with 11 points while Wyrick rounded out double-figure scoring with 10 points. Wagners' stat line was also enhanced by 16 rebounds as she notched her first double-double of the season.
The Golden Suns will now prepare for their regular season finale on Saturday at Southern Arkansas. Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 1 p.m. from the W.T. Watson Center in Magnolia.
