ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The Reddies ended the home stand with a big win, defeating Ouachita Baptist in The Battle of the Ravine, 66-58.

Henderson State (13-8, 9-8) was led on offense tonight by Natalie Cardenas, who scored 25 points. Jayla Lewis added nine, while Grayson Fairless had eight. Cardenas, Brynlee Huggins, and Brooklyn Howell led the Reddies with six rebounds each, while Fairless added on five. Cardenas and Riley Samples led the team with two assists a piece. On the defensive side, Cardenas collected four steals, while Huggins added three blocks on the night.

Game Recap
In the first quarter, the Reddies took a blistering lead, scoring seven points before Ouachita could get on the board. Henderson continued to put up points, as a layup by Fairless gave the Reddies a 12-1 lead with 3:49 left in the quarter. OBU responded with a 7-0 run of their own to narrow the lead to 12-8 for the Reddies. Another surge by the Tigers gave them a 14-13 lead going into the second quarter.

Ouachita continued to put on the pressure, scoring four to extend their lead, but a three by Cardenas slowed their scoring down, the Reddies down 18-16. Both teams exchanged points, the lead never exceeding six points until the last two minutes of the half. A three by Ouachita extended their lead to 32-21 with 1:12 left in the half, but the Reddies held the Tigers scoreless for that final minute and only trailed 32-24 going into halftime.

Henderson State came out of the half hot, as Cardenas scored five straight, while Lewis and Fairless added two to a 9-0 run to take the lead 33-32. Ouachita retook the lead, but Lewis scored three to tie it 36-36 with five minutes left. Both teams exchanged the lead three times, and OBU scored a last second free throw to tie it 43-43 going into the final quarter.

In the final quarter, both teams continued to exchange the lead, until a three by Marlee Raby gave the Reddies a 48-46 lead with 5:54 left in the game. The Tigers tried to fight back, managing to keep Henderson's lead to no more than three points, until another three, made by Huggins was the momentum swing the Reddies needed. Henderson held Ouachita to only two more points, and the Reddies won the game 66-58.

Up Next –
Women's Basketball goes on the road to Monticello on Saturday February 14th to face Arkansas-Monticello in the Steelman Fieldhouse. Tip off is scheduled for 1:00 P.M.