SEARCY, Arkansas – Harding fought off a late surge by Oklahoma Baptist and took an 81-70 victory Saturday.
Oklahoma Baptist trailed by 18 points in the first quarter and 17 in the fourth quarter.
Harding came out firing in the first quarter, taking an 18-4 lead before the Lady Bison adjusted and climbed to within 21-18 just past the midway point of the period.
The OBU defense stiffened in the second half, keeping Harding without a field goal for seven minutes. The Lady Bisons, however, left the floor at halftime with a 45-40 lead thanks to a 10-of-12 quarter at the free throw line.
Katy Custer had 13 in the first half.
OBU also out-scored Harding in the third quarter, 12-11, and achieved a tie early in the fourth quarter, but Harding quickly answered and never trailed.
Custer finished with a team-high 23 points with Lexi Williams adding 14. Those numbers were season highs for both players.
Sydney Layrock led Harding with 23 points and 11 rebounds.
Now 2-5 on the season and 1-3 in the Great American Conference, the Lady Bison return to action Dec. 14 at Tarleton State.
