SEARCY, Ark. – Paul King knocked down a couple of free throws in the dwindling minutes of tonight's game against Harding (5-8, 1-6 GAC) to will Oklahoma Baptist (8-5, 5-2 GAC) to a 64-62 victory inside Rhodes-Reaves Field House on Thursday night.
OBU put on a suffocating defensive clinic in the contest's final moments as HU failed to register a field goal in the last six minutes of play. Meanwhile, led by King, the Bison outlasted Harding to earn its fifth conference win of 2022-23.
King finished with 22 points, the fourth time he has reached 20-plus points this season, on 60% shooting. He posted team highs in rebounds (7) and assists (4), while going 3-3 from the free-throw line.
Bradley Akhile scored 13 points in his fifth start of the year, coupling five rebounds with two three-pointers. Trey Doomes also finished in double figures, going for 11 points with six rebounds.
Trey Green shot 4-6 from the field for nine points, while Ricky Brown added four points to tonight's overall total.
Oklahoma Baptist recorded a 46% field goal percentage while holding the opposition to a 37% clip. OBU didn't miss a free throw (8-8) and charted a 36-18 advantage in points in the paint. Furthermore, the Bison scored 15 points off fast breaks to Harding's zero.
OBU opened the game on a 7-0 run before Harding's Stetson Smithson scored the Bisons' first basket. HU cut its deficit down to two before trading buckets and taking the advantage, 18-16, at the 8:48 mark.
The Bison reclaimed the upper hand before Harding went back up by one with a little over five minutes left, 22-21. OBU closed the half on a 10-5 run and took a 31-25 margin into halftime.
OBU's lead reached 12 in the second before the action got interesting. Harding crawled its way back into the game and trailed by one, 41-40, with 11:44 remaining.
The Bisons earned its first edge of the second half with 7:44 left but had it taken away after Doomes netted back-to-back freebies.
The ball clubs traded leads before the GAC's second-highest scorer, Taylor Currie, made four straight free throws to give Harding a two-point cushion with 45 seconds left.
The next possession, King put in a layup to tie the contest 62-all.
A stifling Oklahoma Baptist defensive sequence followed, prompting a trip to the charity stripe for King, who was fouled when reaching for a rebound.
After a 2-2 showing from King at the line, a Brown closeout on a Harding prayer as the clock ticked to zero lifted OBU to victory.
Oklahoma Baptist will face its toughest test yet on Saturday, as they'll make the trip to Russellville to take on a red-hot Arkansas Tech (8-5, 6-1 GAC) squad. Tip-off against the Wonder Boys is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
