BOX SCORE || Henderson State outscored Southern Arkansas by 22 points in the second half to turn a nine-point halftime deficit into a 73-60 win in Saturday’s first Great American Conference Basketball Championship semifinal contest from Bruin Fieldhouse.
The sixth-seeded Reddies (14-16) also dominated the glass as they outrebounded the seventh-seeded Muleriders (12-16) by a 44-27 margin. Four Reddies - Taylor Smith, Reggie Murphy, Bryan Umoru and Ronald Lawson - all grabbed at least six rebounds. For the second straight game, Murphy scored 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting.
Henderson seized control of the game with an 18-6 run early in the second half – a run that culminated with a 3-point basket by Melvin Haynes to give HSU a 47-44 advantage. The Reddies never relinquished the lead again. Haynes scored 14 points off the bench to lead a strong performance by the substitutions. They outscored the Mulerider reserves by a 33-12 margin.
The Reddies advanced to their sixth conference tournament title game since joining Division II in 1993. They made all five appearances in a nine-year stretch between 1999 and 2007. Henderson State won Gulf South Conference Championships in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2003. Prior to these two victories this week, the Reddies has not won in its previous two GAC Tournament appearances.
For the Muleriders, Tyrell Taylor led the way with 13 points and 10 assists. Jeffrey Walker matched Taylor for team-high scoring honors.
Henderson State will face the winner of Arkansas Tech and Harding in Sunday’s title game, set for 1 p.m. The Reddies and Bisons split during the regular season – each winning on their home floor. The Wonder Boys won both meetings. All GAC Basketball Championship contests stream on
GACSportsNetwork.com.