Box Score A strong second half surge and balanced scoring led Henderson State to an 83-78 win over Southern Arkansas in women's Great American Conference basketball action in Magnolia on Saturday afternoon.

Henderson State trailed by as many as 20 points in the first half, but used 68 percent shooting in the second half making 17 of 25 shots from the field for the win.

Southern Arkansas built a 25-9 lead midway through the first half as the Lady Muleriders converted on 10-of-17 from the field while Henderson managed just 3-of-14 shooting.

The Lady Muleriders, 4-8 overall and 2-4 in the Great American Conference, controlled the inside game outscoring Henderson 46 to 34, but it was the outside shooting in the second half that propelled the Reddies to victory.

Henderson State, 3-9 and 1-5, got a spark from Victoria Stewart as the Reddies cut the deficit to 42-30 at the half with the help of 9 points from Stewart including a 3-point field goal.

The second half was a different story as Henderson State forced SAU to take low percentage shots from the perimeter.

Needing 11 points to pass 1000 for her career, Aungelique Sledge struggled in the first half with just 2 points, but exploded in the second half for 17 points.

She recorded her 1000th career point at the 12:08 mark of the second half after making a free throw attempt.

The Reddies took their first lead of the second half at the 10:10 mark on a Dulincia Keener layup, making the score 59-58.

It would be a neck-and-neck shootout for the remainder of the game, as SAU regained the lead with 2:22 remaining on a Rosa Bryant 3-pointer.

On Henderson's next possession, however, Haleigh Henson drove the lane and dished it off to Keener who put in a layup to give the Reddies the lead again.

SAU answered with a Tierra Tucker layup on its next possession, but the Reddies marched right back down the court to take an 80-78 lead with 1:01 remaining, as Sledge canned a three from the left wing.

The Lady Muleriders would get no closer as clutch free-throws by Victoria Stewart and Henson down the stretch carried HSU to victory.

Sledge led the balanced attack for HSU with 19 points on 7-of-15 field goal attempts, while Keener had 18 points on 7-of-11 attempts and ripped down 9 boards.

Henson knocked down 5 three-point attempts and pitched in 17 points, while Stewart contributed 12.

The Reddies will next travel to Bethany, Okla. to face Southern Nazarene on Thursday, Jan. 8 with tipoff set for 5:30 p.m.