Last-second layup gives Henderson win over Harding

ARKADELPHIA — Eric Dailey found Jeremiah Toney for a slicing layup with 3.8 seconds left on Saturday to give Henderson State a 75-74 win over Harding at the Duke Wells Center.

The win is Henderson’s third straight over Harding (4-4, 2-1 Great American Conference) dating back to last season. The Reddies (7-2, 2-1) led by 11 points with seven minutes to go in the second half, but the Bisons used a 15-3 run to seize a 69-68 lead with 4:15 to play in the game.

The final minutes were back-and-forth, but Henderson found itself trailing, 74-73, with 16.9 seconds left and was forced to foul Harding’s J.V. Long. Long, who was 5-for-12 at the free throw line on the day, missed both attempts, which gave the Reddies a chance to win.

Dailey directed traffic on the other end as the final seconds ticked down and used a screen from Tanner Hamilton to drive into the lane and find Toney, who cut in from the left baseline. Toney’s flying layup dropped with 3.8 seconds remaining to put the Reddies in front, 75-74. The Bisons’ got a final heave at the basket from just beyond half court, but it crashed off of the backboard to give Henderson the victory.

Four Reddies scored in double figures in the win. Chris Parker led the way with 19 points, while Dailey added 17 with five rebounds and five assists. Toney gave Henderson a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double off of the bench and Rel Johnson chipped in 11 points. Terrence Parker finished with seven points and a game-high 15 rebounds.

Harding got out to an early 23-13 lead in the first half on Saturday, but the Reddies closed the period on a 23-8 run to take a

35-31 advantage into the locker room. Henderson stretched its lead out to 46-36 in the first five minutes of the second half behind eight points from Dailey and the Bisons did not come within eight points again until their run in the game’s final stages.

Henderson outrebounded Harding, 4935, and had 42 points in the paint compared to 28 for the Bisons. The Reddies shot 50 percent from the field in the second half.

Their next game is scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m. against Arkansas-Monticello

(5-3, 2-1) at the Duke Wells Center.

Submitted photo TONEY UP: Henderson State guard Jeremiah Toney (23) pushes the ball up the court Saturday against Harding’s Colin Hale during the Reddies’ 75-74 victory against the Bisons at the Duke Wells Center in Arkadelphia. Photo by Hunter Lively, courtesy of Henderson State Athletic Communications.