SEARCY, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech men's basketball team fell on the road at Harding on Thursday night, 84-75.
The first 20 minutes of action was intensely back-and-forth as there were 10 lead changes and 12 tie scores. Additionally, the largest lead for either team in the first half was five points. That watermark first-half lead was achieved by the Wonder Boys at the 3:18 mark on a fastbreak layup by
Seybian Sims.
Unfortunately, the lead did not last long as the Bisons went on a 5-0 run over the next minute or so of action to tie the score at 33-all. At the 2:15 mark, Harding pushed the run to 7-0 to take a two-point lead, 35-33. On the ensuing trip down the court, the Wonder Boys forced the 12
th and final tie of the half on a layup by
Cassius Brooks.
Again, Harding had the answer and hit a three-pointer on their next trip down the floor to go back into the lead. The Bisons later grabbed their largest lead of the half, four points, with just six seconds left, but a last-second three by
Carlos Ramsey Jr. made it a one-point game at the break.
That go-ahead three by Harding late in the first half ended up serving as the final tie-break of the game as the Bisons methodically built on their lead throughout the second half and held the Wonder Boys at bay in the process.
By the 15:15 mark, Harding grabbed their largest lead of the game at 14 points. Despite that, the Wonder Boys had fight in them and by the 11:53 mark had cut that deficit in half and trailed by seven, 59-52.
The Bisons responded and by the 9:05 mark had pushed their lead back out to 13 points, 67-54. Resilient, the Wonder Boys got as close as six points, 69-63, by the 6:27 mark. That would end up being as close as the Wonder Boys could get to the Harding lead as they eventually won by nine, 84-75.
Statistically, the Wonder Boys had three players score in double figures and were led by Brooks and his 26 points. Brooks was 8-of-16 overall from the floor, 4-of-6 from three-point range and 6-of-8 from the free throw line. Ramsey Jr. was next with 19 points off the bench. He was 8-of-12 overall from the field. Sims rounded out double-figure scoring with 12 points.
The Wonder Boys will now prepare for another road game this coming Saturday as they are on the road at Arkansas-Monticello. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.
