SEARCY, Arkansas – Henderson State came into Rhodes-Reaves Field House and sent Harding off on a long Christmas break as a career night from Gracie Raby helped HSU to an 82-78 victory over the Lady Bisons.
 
Raby, Ashley Farrar and Sonni Martin combined for 62 points as Raby registered a career-high 21 points while Martin put up a season-high 20 points, including 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. Farrar saw her fourth 20-point game of the season after going for 21 Saturday evening.
 
The Reddie defense held Harding to its second lowest three-point percentage output of the season as the Lady Bisons only managed two triples on 16 attempts for 12.5%. On the other side, Henderson connected on 40% (6-15) of its treys.
 
The first quarter was dominated by Harding's star forward Sage Hawley as she closed the opening period with 14 points and seven rebounds. Harding opened play with a quick 4-0 lead before HSU climbed back to be down only a point heading into the first media timeout. A lay-up from Raby gave the Reddies a brief lead, 11-10, before the Lady Bisons strung together 10 unanswered, eight of which came from Hawley.
 
Facing an eight-point deficit heading to the second period, 20-12, the HSU defense got the visiting Reddies back into the game forcing back-to-back shot clock violations with Sonni Martin and Jadah Picken lay-ups preceding each turnover to close the gap to four. That continued into a 15-2 run which gave Henderson its largest lead of the game up to that point at 27-22.
 
The Lady Bisons only made one field-goal in the final seven and a half minutes of the half, yet went 8-8 from the free-throw line, during which HSU only saw three more points, as HU re-took the lead heading into the break, 32-30.  
 
Henderson came out of the half strong with a Martin triple at the top of the key off of a Whaley block to give HSU the 33-32 lead. Each team traded baskets up until the third-quarter media as the scoreboard read 40-all. Minutes later a Raby lay-up attempt forced Hawley's fourth foul to send her to the bench for the remainder of the third.
 
The lid came off the rim for both teams in the final five minutes of the third as 24 points transpired between both teams the rest of the way as play moved to the fourth and final quarter with the hometown Lady Bisons holding a brief advantage, 54-50.
 
Similarly to how HSU started the third, the final period got started with a three-point jumper from Martin and a Farrar lay-up to quickly jump ahead, 55-54. That lead would not last long, however, as seconds later a driving lay-up from Harding's Jacie Evans put the Lady Bisons back on top.
 
With five minutes remaining in regulation and Henderson seeing a precarious two-point edge, Henderson had only connected on four three-pointers all night. Farrar and Lani Snowden added two more in a span of 22 seconds as back-to-back treys put HSU up by eight and brought to life the Reddie faithful who made the trip from Arkadelphia.
 
With a little more breathing room for Jill Thomas and her team, Henderson State was able to hang on thanks to Martin, who connected on five of her final six free-throws down the stretch to ice the contest. A final freebie from Raby gave HSU the final word as the women of Henderson State basketball left Searcy with the 82-78 win.
 
The Reddies bring their 3-1 conference record and 8-2 overall record into the Christmas break. Henderson will return to the hardwood Dec. 30 when Oklahoma Baptist comes to Arkadelphia, followed by Southern Nazarene inside the Duke Wells Center on New Year's Day.