SEARCY, Ark. — Henderson State gave No. 22 Harding all it could handle on Saturday night but the Reddies came up just short in a 14-13 slugfest to take their first loss of the season.

The Reddies led 10-7 at halftime but the Bisons used a 14-play, 60-yard touchdown drive which took nearly nine minutes off the clock to seize a 14-10 lead in the third. 

Henderson's defense, which came up big all game, handed the offense a golden opportunity in the fourth quarter when Antoine Roshell recovered a Harding fumble at the Bisons' 33-yard line. With a chance to take the lead, the Reddies drive stalled at the 13-yard line where a field goal from Temo Martinez cut the lead to 14-13 with just under eight minutes remaining.

Another stop from the defense got the ball back for Henderson at the five minute mark, but a diving interception deep down field by Harding's V'Onte Williams snuffed out the possession on its second play. 

The Bisons' ball control offense took over from there and although the Reddies defense stood tall all evening, it was unable to find one final stop, as Harding ran out the clock with a late fourth-down conversion to win it, 14-13.

The Reddies offense was limited to just 44 yards in the second half on Saturday, as the Bisons held the ball for nearly 24 of the final 30 minutes in the game. Harding ran 79 plays to just 47 for HSU.

Defensively, Henderson recovered three Harding fumbles and held the Bisons to 336 yards of offense in the loss. Josh Puryear had his strongest showing as a Reddie and finished with 12 tackles, one sack and two forced fumbles. 

Henderson (3-1) returns to action on Oct. 5 when the Reddies host Northwestern Oklahoma State in Carpenter-Haygood Stadium and Ruggles Field at 2 p.m.