Mains scores 35, leads HSU women past SAU

ARKADELPHIA — Maci Mains shot 13 for 23 from the floor for a career-high 35 points to help lead Henderson State to a 93-84 win over Southern Arkansas in the teams’ 2021 season opener at the Duke Wells Center Thursday night.

Mains’ performance was the best for a Reddie player since Pink Jones scored 37 against Southeastern Oklahoma State in February of 2018. Karrington Whaley picked up the team’s first double-double of the year with 16 points and 11 rebounds, Tamia Templeton had a career night with 14 points and seven rebounds and freshman Jadah Pickens had 9 points and 11 rebounds in her career debut.

Down two starters due to COVID-19 protocols, the Reddies (1-0) trailed just 45-42 at the break, thanks in part to 16 of Mains’ points coming in the first half. The Muleriders sported a deeper bench, but they could not hold off HSU.

SAU opened the third quarter with a 13-2 run for a 58-46 lead with just 2:01 off the clock, but the Reddies managed a 24-6 run to take control of the game with a 70-64 lead going into the final 10 minutes. Back-to-back

3-pointers from Mains and Gracie Raby gave the Reddies a 76

67 lead, but SAU’s Kylie Warren responded with a pair of treys to pull within 76-75 near the halfway point of the frame.

Pickens and classmate Annie Coffey gave the team a spark late before Mains, Whaley and

Lani Snowden put up the final

11 to ice the game. The Reddies won the boards against a bigger SAU squad, 56-49, while hitting

47.8% from the field and holding the Muleriders to 35.2%.

Henderson travels to Russellville today at 2 p.m. to face Arkansas Tech.

MEN Muleriders 83, Reddies 77

ARKADELPHIA — SAU used a 41-35 halftime edge to maintain control as it never trailed HSU in the second half to open the season with a win on the road.

Jeremiah Toney recorded the Reddies’ first double-double of the season with a career-high 22 points and 11 rebounds, Damian Dear added

15 in his Reddies debut, and Quawn Marshall got a double- double of his own with

10 points and a career-high 11 boards.

SAU had five in double-digits with Blake Rogers, Jalen Brooks and Devante Brooks each putting up 16 points, and Aaron Lucas and Victor Ihrihri putting up 10 apiece. Jalen Brooks led the team with 9 rebounds.

The Reddies ( 0-1) jumped out to an 11-0 lead by the 7:20 mark of the first half, thanks in part to a pair of treys from Marshall, but the Muleriders responded with a 22-7 run to take a six- point lead into the break. SAU shot 54.2% from the floor and 50% from behind the arc in the first half

SAU opened the second half on a 10- 3 run for an 11- point lead just 3:33 in, but Dear had a pair of big steals and 7 points to spur an 11- 0 run to knot the score with 14: 14 left. The Muleriders responded with a

12-2 run to push back out to a double-digit lead, but the Reddies started to claw their way back in the final six minutes, pulling within 69-67 with 4:19 to go.

HSU pulled within a single point, but the Reddies could not overtake the Muleriders as SAU salted the game at the stripe for the win. SAU shot

50% from the field while allowing just 40.3% for the Reddies. The Muleriders hit 11 treys to just eight for HSU while outrebounding the hosts 41-33.

The Reddies travel to Russellville for a 4 p. m. game against Arkansas Tech today. SAU hosts Ouachita Baptist at

4 p.m.

Bisons 84, Tigers 77

SEARCY — Harding scored 6 straight points late in the second half to hold off OBU to open the season with a win at Rhodes-Reaves Field House Thursday night.

Trailing 47-39 at the half, the Tigers (0-1) opened the second half on a 13-2 run to take a 52

49 lead with just 4: 50 off the clock, but the Bisons quickly got back into the game with neither team holding more than a 3-point lead over the next 13 minutes. Harding ( 1- 0) went on a 10-2 run with 3:26 left to secure the game with Romio Harvey scoring 8 of the final points to secure the win.

Harvey put up 24 points with three 3- pointers to lead the Bisons with freshman Stetson Smithson putting up

15 and Ramiro Santiago adding 14. Kendarious Smith led the Rigers with 17 points, Leon Kalinic had 16, and Ma’Darius Hobson finished with 15.

Harding shot 45.5% for the game and limited Ouachita to 40.8%. The Bisons made

10 3-pointers and 14 of 19 free throws, including all eight attempts in the second half. Harding’s victory snapped a three-game winning streak by the Tigers.

Harding travels to Monticello for a 4 p.m. game against Arkansas-Monticello while Ouachita travels to Magnolia to face SAU.