ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Henderson State remained undefeated at home in thrilling fashion on Thursday night, defeating Ouachita Baptist, 91-89. The win marked only the third time in Jill Thomas' nine years as HSU's head coach that her team has started a season 6-0 or better at home.
 
The Reddies had four players score in double-digits, led by Ashley Farrar with 25 points – her sixth 20-point performance of the season – and Gracie Raby with 18 points. Sonni Martin and Maci Mains contributed 15 and 12 points, respectively, as Mains has logged back-to-back double-figure outings.
 
As a team, Henderson was on fire all night shooting the ball, hitting at a 46.2% clip (30-65) from the field and a season-high 47.1% (8-17) from beyond-the-arc. Ouachita was equally proficient, shooting 56.7% (34-60) from the field and 38.5% (5-13) from deep, making for a classic Thursday night Battle of the Ravine.
 
The Tigers came out fast, racing out to a 10-5 lead within the first three minutes of the game. Ouachita maintained that lead until a Mains three-pointer gave HSU its first lead in the early going at 17-16. That lead was built until the first 10 minutes expired as the Reddies held a five-point advantage, 23-18.
 
The margin stayed within five to eight in favor of the home team until OBU claimed its first lead since 3:39 in the first quarter when a trey from the nation's leading scorer Aspen Thornton put the Tigers ahead, 43-41. Henderson retook a brief lead before Ouachita closed the half on a 5-0 run, including a buzzer-beating three, to head to the locker room up three, 48-45.
 
The beginning of the third period was all Tigers as they built their biggest lead of the game of nine over the next seven minutes of the second half. With a double-digit lead looming, free-throws were what got HSU back into the game. Seven of the Reddies' final 12 points of the quarter came at the charity stripe as the contest went into the final 10 minutes at a deadlock, 68-68.
 
With neither team willing to surrender a lead, play stood at 74-74 before Henderson and the home crowd came alive to the tune of a 6-0 run, fueled by a 4-0 personal spurt from Raby to put HSU ahead, 80-74. The visiting Tigers responded with their own 5-0 run to close the deficit to one, but an and-one from Martin stalled the Tiger charge, as HSU built its lead back up to five, 84-79.
 
Ouachita only led once in the entire fourth quarter prior to the two-minute mark, but head coach Robert Dallimore had his girls prepared to fight till the very end. With the five-point deficit facing OBU as play teetered towards the close, the likes of Makayla Miller and Thornton single-handedly brought the Tigers all the way back until a pair of Thornton free-throws gave OBU its final lead at 89-88.
 
The next time down the court, Jill Thomas and her team's fourth-ranked scoring offense in the nation went to work as Raby found a patient Tamia Templeton under the basket for the go-ahead lay-up with 48 second left. After an OBU turnover, a shot-clock beating heave from Raby turned into an offensive rebound for Farrar with eight seconds left, which all but iced the contest.
 
A 1-for-2 trip to the free-throw line for Farrar put HSU ahead, 91-89, as a last second prayer from the Tigers came up short, giving the Reddies the thrilling victory in the front of the biggest crowd of the year.
 
Henderson St. (10-4, 5-3) hits the road again on Saturday for the season's second meeting with Arkansas-Monticello on Saturday before seeing three straight home games from Jan. 20 to Jan. 24.