RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Trailing by as many as 13 in the first half and being held to just 25 points, the Arkansas Tech men's basketball team flipped the script in the second half and beat rival Harding by a score of 64-56 at home on Thursday night.
The second half surge by the Wonder Boys started right out of the locker room as they opened on a 9-2 run to pull within a point, 35-34, by the 17:23 mark. By the 16:10 mark, the Wonder Boys grabbed a 39-37 lead on a
David Elliott IV mid-range jumper. That lead was the first for the Wonder Boys since the 13:45 mark of the first half.
Harding would come down and tie the game the next trip down the floor, but after the Wonder Boys regained the lead on a layup from
Aiden Underdown at the 14:53 mark, Tech would not trail the rest of the game. In fact, by the 11:25 mark, the lead reached double digits thanks a three-pointer from Elliott IV.
The Bisons would not let the lead get much more out of hand and worked their way back into the game. The closest they would get to the Wonder Boys' lead, however, was three points on several occasions. The last of those came at the 4:12 mark as the Bisons made a pair of free throws to make the score, 56-53.
The Wonder Boys had an immediate answer on a layup from
Sam Bradford and managed to keep Harding from getting any closer, eventually coming away with an eight-point win.
Tech was led in scoring by Underdown, who had a career-high 22 points. He did so on 7-of-9 shooting overall and was 8-of-10 from the free throw line. Underdown also added a team-high 10 rebounds to record a double-double. Elliott IV was next in scoring with 16 points.
The Wonder Boys will now prepare for a home game against Arkansas-Monticello on Monday, January 26. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. from Tucker Coliseum, weather permitting.
