ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Henderson State overcame a sluggish start to begin the 2021-22 conference play with a win after defeating Arkansas-Monticello, 75-39, marking its largest margin of victory since 2019. The win marked the fifth straight season HSU has won its home conference opener.
 
The Reddies dominated in the paint, outscoring UAM, 34-20. The Henderson bench also won the scoring battle, 22-17, including a 14-5 advantage in the fourth to help HSU put the conference duel away.
 
For the fifth consecutive game, Gracie Raby scored in double-digits, delivering a game-high 14 points tonight. Coming into the season, the junior from Mount Vernon, Arkansas, had not strung together three straight games of such in her entire career at HSU.
 
Neither team could get anything going early on as four minutes in and the score stood in favor of the Blossoms, 10-7. An and-1 from Jadah Pickens tied it up at 10 before Karrington Whaley scored the next points of the contest nearly two and a half minutes later to make it 12-10.
 
The Blossoms were able to score six of the next nine points to take a one-point lead into the second quarter. The Henderson defense allowed HSU to retake the lead heading into the break as it only allowed UAM one field-goal in the entire second frame, with three of its five second-half points coming at the free-throw line.
 
With a 30-21 lead to open the second half, the Reddies' offense finally found its groove. After opening up the third with 7-2 run, Ashley Farrar, Raby and Sonni Martin were responsible for back-to-back-to-back and-1s, which extended the Reddies to their biggest lead up to that point at 46-24.
 
Henderson built its lead to as much as 32 before heading into the final frame ahead 58-30. The Reddies extended that lead until the final buzzer, leaving Duke Wells Center with the 75-39 victory.
 
Days after its home conference opener, Henderson St. (5-1, 1-0) will head to Magnolia, Arkansas, for its first road conference game when it takes on Southern Arkansas Saturday, Dec. 4 at 1 p.m.