ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Henderson State held an 18 point lead in the third quarter, but a fierce rally from the visiting Bison forced extra time, where the Reddies eventually prevailed, 94-80. The overtime contest marked the first such game for HSU this season and Oklahoma Baptist's second.
 
Sonni Martin did just about anything Henderson needed of her, staying busy on the evening with 13 points, nine assists, five steals and four rebounds. Five steals is the most steals a player has had all season and the most since the 2019-20 season. Martin also went 6-for-8 at the free-throw line to help ice the game late.
 
Gracie Raby logged her second consecutive 20-point game with 20 points on the nose, going 8-14 from the field and 4-5 from the charity stripe. Lani Snowden and Ashley Farrar backed her up with 17 points apiece, including 5-13 from beyond-the-arc for Snowden.
 
Snowden opened the GAC showdown connecting on 3-4 treys in the first frame with HSU as a team going 4-9 from deep through the first 10 minutes, building a nine-point lead heading into the second quarter. Henderson opened the second frame on a 6-0 run, seeing its first double-digit lead of the game.
 
The Reddies maintained that double-digit lead all the way until the break, heading into halftime with the 41-31 lead. The lead grew ever so slightly, with HSU holding a 15-point advantage heading into the final frame. With the game seemingly already decided, the Bison began their charge back.
 
Two minutes and 11 seconds into the final period, a 2-for-2 trip to the line for Raby put Henderson up 67-56, before Oklahoma Baptist scored 15 of the next 23 points to cut the deficit to two, 74-72, with 23 seconds left. Two more free throws, this time from Martin, gave HSU just enough breathing room after an OKBU 3-pointer with 16 seconds left made it a one-point contest.
 
A 1-for-2 trip at the line from Raby the next time down opened the door for the Bison as Stapleton again came through with the game-tying layup with six seconds remaining, as a last-second heave yielded nothing, sending the game to overtime.
 
With the Reddies having gone ice cold from long range in the second half, the lid finally came off the basket in overtime as back-to-back threes from Martin and Snowden opened the game at 83-77. Henderson proceeded to go the rest of the way on an 11-4 run, avoiding the upset, taking the 94-80 victory to close 2021.
 
Henderson State (9-2, 4-1) will look to tie its best start to conference play in head coach Jill Thomas' nine years at HSU when the Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm ring in the new year in Arkadelphia Saturday, Jan. 1 at 1 p.m.