FORT SMITH, Ark. – Harding sophomore Kellie Lampo scored 23 of her game-high 27 points in the first half, and the Lady Bisons fought off Arkansas-Fort Smith for a 70-59 nonconference victory at the Stubblefield Center on New Year's Eve.
Harding's win was its seventh in its last eight games, and the Lady Bisons improved to 8-2 overall. UAFS, a member of the NCAA II Heartland Conference, dropped its fourth straight and fell to 3-10.
It was the third of five straight road games for Harding, who returns to Great American Conference play Thursday against East Central in Ada, Oklahoma.
Harding led by as many as 15 points early in the third quarter, but UAFS outscored Harding 18-14 in the period and closed to within 52-46 entering the fourth.
UAFS scored the first seven points of the final quarter and took a 53-52 lead on Dachelle Terry's jumper with 6:14 left. Harding scored the next six points on a Peyton Padgett layup, two Brooke Bradley free throws and a Kennedy Cooper layup and led the rest of the way. Harding outscored UAFS 18-13 in the fourth quarter.
The game was tied 10 times in the first half before a Lampo layup with 3:55 left in the second quarter started a 13-3 Harding run that gave the Lady Bisons a 38-28 halftime lead.
Lampo made 9 of 11 shots in the first half and finished 10-of-14. She also had a team-high 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Kennedy Cooper had 11 points and 10 rebounds also recording her second double-double.
Sophomore guard Carissa Caples had eight points in each half and scored 16. Amanda Kearney had nine points and team highs with five assists and four steals.
Tamera Gulley had 15 points, seven rebounds, five steals and four blocks to lead UAFS, who shot 39.3 percent as a team. Harding has not allowed an opponent to shoot 40 percent this season and held UAFS to only 1-of-12 from 3-point range.
Reader Comments(0)