RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - Henderson State and Arkansas Tech alternated the lead six times Thursday night, but the Wonder Boys finished on top as HSU fell inside Tucker Coliseum in Russellville, 69-64.

Henderson held up on the defensive side of the ball all night, holding the league's most efficient three-point shooting team to just 33.3 percent (9-of-27) while itself hit on 41.7 percent (5-of-12) from beyond the arc, but the Reddies' nine missed free-throws out of 20 attempts hurt them in the end.

Additionally, the HSU defense held the league's leading scorer Taelon Peter to an in-conference season-low six points in 40 minutes. On the other side, the red-and-gray got a season-high 19 points from Ken Lewis on 7-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-5 from long range while hitting both of his free-throws.

There were two ties within the first three minutes of the game, but Henderson would not see its first lead until the 6:16 mark of the first half. After Arkansas Tech threatened a double-digit lead, HSU used a 15-2 run, sparked by seven straight from Lewis, to jolt ahead by four.

With the Wonder Boys retaking a two-possession lead late in the first frame, a three-pointer from Lewis in the final seconds saw the Reddies head to the locker room facing a two-point deficit to the GAC's second-ranked team, 37-35.

The second half looked similar to the first, as Arkansas Tech held the lead for most of the latter 20 minutes. With 4:13 remaining in regulation, a pair of Patterson free-throws put HSU ahead briefly, 58-57, before the lead changed hands over the next minute and a half.

With the Reddies still holding a one-point advantage with 2:52 on the clock, Arkansas Tech came through with back-to-back field-goals while Henderson missed on consecutive shot attempts as Tech was able to ice the game away with free-throws.

Henderson St. (8-18, 7-14 GAC) will return to the Duke Wells Center one final time this season when it hosts Harding Saturday, Mar. 2 for a 3 p.m. tip-off on Senior Day.