Weevils win game on last-second shot

Zane Nelson beat the buzzer and made possibly the most important basket in the University of Arkansas at Monticello’s men’s basketball season.

Nelson hit a jumpshot with 1 second left to give the Boll Weevils a 65-63 win over Harding University on Thursday night in Searcy. Nelson had 20 points in the win.

The win ended a 2-game skid by the Weevils (12-14, 1011 Great American), who are tied with two other teams for fourth place in the conference and need a win today against Ouachita Baptist University in Monticello to secure a spot in the Great American tournament next week in Shawnee, Okla.

The loss forced Harding (12-15, 9-12) into a tie for seventh.

Harding erased a 63-59 deficit with layups by Sam Smith at the 1:15 and 29-second marks. The Weevils then worked the ball to Nelson for the game-winner.

The Bisons led 36-34 at halftime, but UAM overcame a 21-for-62 (33.9%) shooting game to win. The Weevils made 17 of 22 free throws.

Isaac Jackson had 16 points and 9 rebounds, and Josh Denton scored 13 points for the Weevils. Wesley Booker pulled down 11 rebounds to go with 3 points.

Rylie Marshall led Harding with 20 points. Keyln McBride and Smith each had 10 in the loss.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HARDING 75, UAM 60

Aubrey Isbell scored 24 points and totaled 7 rebounds off the bench, and Harding (23-4, 18-3 Great American) overcame a slow start to defeat UAM (8-19, 4-17) in Searcy on Thursday.

UAM led 21-15 through one period, before Harding responded with a 24-9 stanza. The Bisons made 16 of 30 shots from the floor in the second and third quarters combined and finished 26 of 60 for 43.3%, despite making only 3 of 16 3-pointers.

Harding’s bench outscored UAM’s 47-6, due in large part to Isbell, Maddi Holt (12 points) and Katelyn Kabrich (11). Sage Hawley scored 12 and Rory Geer 11 in starting roles for the Bisons.

Bailey Harris led the Cotton Blossoms with 19 points and 8 rebounds. Hailey Crews had 14 points and Alindsey Long scored 12 in the loss.

UAM will wrap up its women’s season today in Monticello against Ouachita Baptist at 1 p.m. The men’s game will follow.