RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech women's basketball team held rival Harding under 60 points for just the fourth time this season while also limiting them to their second-lowest field goal percentage of the season on Thursday night as the Golden Suns upset the Lady Bisons, 65-59.
Coming in as the No. 2 team in the conference standings, the Lady Bisons were held to just 28% shooting overall in the first quarter (5-of-18) and 26% shooting overall for the first half (10-of-38). During that same stretch, the Golden Suns were 42% overall shooting in the first quarter (7-of-17) and 46% overall for the half (12-of-26).
Despite that relatively low shooting percentage in the first quarter, Harding led throughout most of the period, albeit by manageable margin. With under four minutes left in the period, the Golden Suns had tied the score for the first time at 11-all. Harding was quick with the answer on the other end of the floor and hit a three to go back up by three.
The Golden Suns would go on to hold the Lady Bisons scoreless over the final three and a half minutes of the period. That allowed Tech to close out the quarter on a 7-0 run that gave them their first lead of the game and a four-point advantage heading into the second.
In the second quarter, the Golden Suns quickly doubled their lead on a layup by
Julie Wagner and a painted jumper by
Dessie McCarty. The Golden Suns would remain in the lead throughout the entirety of the second quarter with Harding getting as close as a point, 28-27, with 39 seconds left, but a tip-in by
AbbiGrace Cunningham gave Tech a three-point lead at the break, 30-27.
Early in the third quarter, Harding regained the lead, 31-30 at the 8:10 mark. That lead was extremely short-lived as
Hayleigh Wyrick knocked down a three-pointer on the next trip down, giving the Golden Suns the lead back, 33-31. Tech then continued the run sparked by Wyrick and scored on their next two possessions to go back up by six, 37-31, with 6:38 to play in the third.
Harding was able to get within three points of the lead after that point, but the Golden Suns continued to keep control of the game and carried a six-point lead into the fourth, 47-41.
Feeling the upset as a genuine possibility, the Golden Suns came out on fire in the fourth quarter and by the 8:20 mark had pushed their lead out to double-digits, 51-41. By the 6:52 mark, the lead had reached its peak of 13 points, 56-43.
That would prove to be enough of a cushion for the Golden Suns to withstand a furious Harding comeback that saw the Lady Bisons get within two points, 58-56, with just under two minutes to play. The end to the Harding surge was a clutch three-pointer by Cunningham at the 1:25 mark that put the Golden Suns back up by five, 61-56. The Golden Suns would go on to salt the game away at the free throw line, making all four of their attempts over the final 30 seconds.
Three Golden Suns scored in double figures for Tech with Wyrick scoring a season-high 23 points. Cunningham was next with 12 followed by
Olivia Jones and her 10 points.
The Golden Suns will now prepare for another home game this coming Saturday afternoon against Ouachita Baptist. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. inside Tucker Coliseum.
