ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Henderson State defeated Ouachita Baptist Tuesday afternoon 82-72 to split the season series and clinch a spot in the GAC Tournament after getting its 11th league win of the year. 
 
Henderson (14-10, 11-7) shot the ball well from all over the court as the team converted 47.6 percent of its chances from the field and shot 55.0 percent from beyond the arc on 20 attempts.
 
Ashley Farrar led the team with 30 points and was one of five players to reach double figures. Gracie Raby had 14 points and tied with Farrar for a team-high six rebounds. Abbie Jiles was the team's main distributor with six assists while also going 3-3 from beyond the arc and scoring 11 points.
 
Ouachita Baptist scored an early basket to get the game going, and Henderson answered with a three-pointer from Jiles to go up 3-2. Farrar and Raby had hot hands in the opening period as the pair combined for 18 of HSU's 27 points.
 
The Reddies jumped out to a 21-12 lead after a 12-0 run in the middle of the period that featured a triple from Sonni Martin. Back-to-back three-pointers from Raby and JJ Eddens put HSU up 27-17 at the end of the first period.
 
The Tigers cut the Reddies' advantage to six, scoring four quick points to open the second period. After that, the two sides traded baskets before a two-minute stretch where neither side could find the basket.  
 
A 6-0 run late in the second period by Henderson extended the team's lead to 11-points and would grow to 12 after Eryka Patton made a layup to close out the first half, 41-29.
 
Farrar and Raby led the team at the half with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Henderson shot 52.9 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc.  
 
Henderson's slow start to the second half allowed Ouachita to claw back into the game. The Reddies led by as much as 14 in the third period, but the hot-shooting Tigers cut HSU's advantage to one, 55-54.
 
Farrar got hot from beyond the arc, going 3-3 from deep to give HSU some breathing room after the Tigers brought the game within one to go up 58-54. Jiles made a trey as the buzzer expired to end the third period 63-57.
 
Back-to-back three-pointers by Martin in the fourth period and a triple from Jiles put the game out of reach for Ouachita Baptist, while the Reddies were able to see out an 82-72 victory in the final frame. 
 
HSU will host Southeastern Oklahoma State on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 5:30 p.m. in the Duke Wells Center.