DURANT, Okla. — Despite a gritty fourth-quarter comeback and a buzzer-beating layup to force overtime, the No. 10-ranked Harding women’s basketball team saw its eight-game winning streak come to an end Saturday in a 75-65 loss to Southeastern Oklahoma State at Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
Harding (22-4, 16-4 GAC) struggled to find its rhythm offensively, shooting just 28 percent from the field, but used a tenacious defensive effort and 20 offensive rebounds to stay within striking distance until the final minutes of the extra period.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lady Bisons trailed 13-10 after a cold-shooting first quarter but found life in the second. Maddi Holt sparked a 12-4 run with a left-handed layup to give Harding its first lead of the game at 18-17. The two teams traded blows throughout the first half, with the Savage Storm (14-12, 11-9 GAC) taking a slim 23-22 lead into the locker room.
The third quarter belonged to the Lady Bisons’ backcourt. After Southeastern pushed their lead to seven, Amelia Rogers drew a foul late in the shot clock and sank three straight free throws to ignite a rally. Following a technical foul on the Southeastern bench, Josie Williams knocked down two free throws, and Holt capped the quarter with a deep triple from the left wing to give Harding a 44-40 advantage heading into the fourth.
The final frame of regulation was a see-saw affair featuring seven lead changes. Allie Rehl provided a massive spark off the bench, nailing a three-pointer with 2:30 left to put Harding up 54-51. After the Storm rallied to take a two-point lead with six seconds remaining, Kennedy Stout hauled in a pass and converted a layup as time expired to tie the game at 60-60 and force overtime.
In the extra period, Southeastern found their range, hitting two quick three-pointers to open a five-point lead. Harding was unable to answer the surge, as the Storm closed the game on a 15-5 run to seal the upset.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
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Maddi Holt led the Lady Bisons with 15 points, adding five rebounds and two assists in 41 minutes of action.
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Allie Rehl provided 14 points and four steals off the bench, finishing 5-of-8 from the free-throw line.
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Kennedy Stout narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with nine points and nine rebounds.
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Josie Williams contributed 10 points and seven rebounds.
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The Harding defense forced 17 turnovers and recorded 10 steals.
UP NEXT
The Lady Bisons will look to bounce back as they return to the Rhodes-Reaves Field House for the final week of the regular season. Harding will host Arkansas-Monticello on Thursday, Feb. 26, with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 p.m.