ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — After falling behind 2-1 following doubles play, Henderson State rallied to win five of the six singles matches to defeat Harding 6-3 on Thursday afternoon at the Bettye Wallace Tennis Center. The win over the Lady Bisons is just the second for the Reddies since the two teams joined the Great American Conference back in 2011.

Harding, the No. 7 team in the Central Region entering Thursday's match, took the lead after pairs play by claiming wins at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles. Henderson's third team of Lorraine Banimataku and Lorish Puluspene got the Reddies on the board by cruising to an 8-2 win.

As singles action began, HSU's No. 1 Annie Shannon was forced to retire, which put Harding in front 3-1 and seemingly gave them control of the match. The Reddies, however, had other plans, as the remaining five players for Henderson each picked up wins.

Puluspene brought HSU closer with a quick 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 6 and Mariah Bartlett was not far behind, as she defeated Paulina Kostka at No. 5, 6-0, 6-4, to tie the match at 3-3. Banimataku gave Henderson its first lead of the day when she got the third straight-sets victory in a row, 6-4, 6-2, over Hana Folse to push the Reddies in front 4-3.

Needing just one more win to clinch the match, Sydnee Parker came through for HSU. After winning her first set 7-6 and dropping the second, Parker found herself in a battle in the pivotal third frame. With things tied up at 6-6, the No. 3 singles contest went into a tiebreaker, where Parker pulled it out over Laura Golubic, 7-5, to take the set and the match for Henderson.

With victory in hand, Thea Minor added the fifth singles win for the Reddies at the No. 2 spot after Gabby Alves retired in the third set.

The win is the Reddies' third in their last four matches and improves Henderson to 3-5 on the year.

HSU returns to action on April 3 at 2 p.m. when they face Harding again in Searcy, Arkansas.

FINAL RESULTS
SINGLES:
1. Arisa Takanashi (HU) def. Annie Shannon (HSU) 6-2, 3-0 (Retired)
2. Thea Minor (HSU) def. Gabriella Alves (HU) 4-6, 6-1, 2-3 (Retired)
3. Sydnee Parker (HSU) def. Laura Golubic (HU) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5)
4. Lorraine Banimataku (HSU) def. Hana Folse (HU) 6-4, 6-2
5. Mariah Bartlett (HSU) def. Paulina Kostka (HU) 6-0, 6-4
6. Lorish Puluspene (HSU) def. Jordan Shaw (HU) 6-4, 6-2

DOUBLES:
1. Golubic/Takanashi (HU) def. Shannon/Parker (HSU) 8-6
2. Alves/Folse (HU) def. Minor/Bartlett (HSU) 8-4
3. Banimataku/Puluspene (HSU) def. Faulkner/Shaw (HU) 8-2