Jessica Weatherford hit the game winning layup with 9.7 seconds remaining to give the Arkansas Tech Golden Suns a 62-61 victory over the Harding Lady Bisons at Tucker Coliseum in Russellville on Saturday night.
The Golden Suns (22-1 overall, 9-1 Gulf South Conference) jumped out to an 18-2 edge and led all the way until the 2:39 mark of the second half.
That was when Harding took its first lead of the game at 58-57 on a pair of Sierra Rollins free throws.
Natalia Santos put the Suns in front 60-58 on a 3-point play with 1:28 to go, but Rollins answered with a 3-point play of her own to give the lead back to the Lady Bisons.
Rollins’ 3-point play gave Harding, which has never beaten the Golden Suns in Russellville, a 61-60 lead with 24.8 seconds left.
The Suns worked the ball to the right side of the floor on the next possession and Ashley Chisum fed Weatherford with a bounce pass.
Weatherford (photographed) absorbed contact and banked it off the glass to give Tech a 62-61 lead with 9.7 seconds remaining.
Harding got two looks at a potential game-winning shot in the final 3.3 seconds, but neither went in and the Suns improved to 26-0 all-time at home against the Lady Bisons.
Weatherford finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Santos added 15 points and five assists, while Jenny Vining hit four 3-pointers and scored 12 points.
The win allows the Golden Suns to maintain a one-game lead over Delta State for first place in the GSC West with four regular season games remaining.
Rollins had 19 points and Stacey Owens scored 17 points for the Lady Bisons (11-10, 4-5).
The Golden Suns will host Ouachita Baptist at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Tucker Coliseum.
]]>
