ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Henderson State made 14 three-pointers Thursday evening – two shy of the tying the program record – as HSU trailed for just one minute and 31 seconds against Arkansas Tech on Senior Night before claiming the 81-61 win. The victory also clinched the Reddies a spot in the 2023 GAC Tournament for the fifth consecutive season.
 
Henderson delivered one of its best shooting performances of the season in all facets. On top of making 60.9 percent (14-23) of its three-pointers, HSU also connected on 51.8 percent (29-56) of its shots from the field and made good on all nine of its free-throws.
 
All five starters for the Reddies scored in double figures. Zyon Patterson made four of his five attempts from beyond the arc as part of his 7-for-11 shooting day to finish with a season-high 18 points. Senior Franck Kamgain matched Patterson with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting to go along with five assists. Fellow-senior Malik Riddle tallied 13 points and eight rebounds.
 
Point guard Alvin Miles facilitated a large chunk of Henderson's offense on the night, recorded a career-high 11 assists – the most assists in an HSU game since Quawn Marshall dished out 11 dimes back on Jan. 7, 2021. For the second time in three games, Henderson's offense managed 20 or more assists.
 
Arkansas Tech scored the first two points of the game, but a three-pointer from Malik Riddle gave Henderson a lead that it would hold onto the rest of the first half 1:32 into game action. The Reddies proceeded to make their last four field-goal attempts prior to the first media timeout to hold a 10-6 lead.
 
Both teams kept in stride of the other over the next four minutes, with the two-possession lead staying on the side of the red-and-gray at the next media break, 17-13. Henderson then broke it open over the next eight minutes, thanks to making its first four three-pointer attempts, during which HSU went on a 14-3 run to turn a two-point lead into a 13-point advantage, 39-26, with 2:35 left in the opening period.
 
The Reddies made a staggering 7-of-11 three-pointers in the opening half to head to the locker room with the 43-34 lead. Patterson scored 12 of his 18 points in the opening 20 minutes, having hit both of his attempts from outside the perimeter.
 
Patterson quickly reached his game-high four made triples after the Crossett, Arkansas native continued to cook, hitting back-to-back threes within the first minute of second-half action, forcing Arkansas Tech to call a timeout as a 15-point advantage was established 52 seconds into the second period.
 
The Wonder Boys were able to get the lead back to single digits at the 13:31 mark, 56-47, before neither team scored a single point for nearly four minutes of game time. A Riddle triple with 9:47 on the clock broke the drought and opened the flood gates. Consecutive treys from Josh Mason gave HSU its largest lead of 18 in what sparked a 16-4 run for the home team.
 
A 21-point lead with just under five minutes remaining never got under 15 as a personal 5-0 run from Kamgain, in his final game at the Duke Wells Center, completed Henderson's fifth win in six games.
 
The Reddies will finish off the 2022-23 regular season in Searcy, Arkansas when HSU faces Harding from Rhodes-Reaves Fieldhouse Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m.