BOX SCORE || BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – One year after losing in the semifinals as the top seed, Harding eliminated top-seeded Arkansas Tech, 83-64, on Saturday at the Bruin Fieldhouse to advance to its first-ever Great American Conference Men’s Basketball Championship title game.
Weston Jameson scored a career-high 27 points and added six assists in the win. His old career high came on November 28, 2011 against Alabama-Huntsville. In two GAC Championship games, he has averaged 22 points and 8.5 assists. He has shot 9-of-13 from the 3-point arc while playing all 80 minutes. Hayden Johnson, the GAC's all-time leader scorer, added 20 points to his total. Like Jameson, he has averaged 22 points while shooting 59.1 percent from the floor in the two victories.
After Antoine Burrell gave the Bisons (14-14) a 36-33 halftime advantage with a stick-back basket as the first half expired, the Bisons opened the second half on a 3-point barrage. They hit three early 3-pointers to extend the led to nine and never let the Wonder Boys (21-9) back any closer than three points the rest of the way. Harding finished the game in style by scoring 21 of the final 31 points.
The Bisons finished the game shooting 53.5 percent from the floor and 52.0 percent from the 3-point arc after connecting on 13 3-pointers. In addition to Jameson’s five 3-pointers, Jacob Gibson made three, Johnson made two as did Blake McNair.
This trip to the GAC title game represents the third such appearance for Harding since moving up to Division II. The Bisons made the title game in the Gulf South Conference in 2008 – and lost to Christian Brothers – and again in 2011 – when they defeated the Wonder Boys.
Bobby Hatchett led Arkansas Tech with 14 points. The Wonder Boys, who entered the week ranked seventh in the Central Region, will learn if they earn a sixth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance during Sunday's NCAA Tournament Selection Show, which airs on NCAA.com at 9:30 p.m.
The Bisons will face Henderson State in Sunday’s 1 p.m. final with an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament on the line. The Bisons scored an 89-71 win in Searcy on January 9. The Reddies returned the favor with a 91-88 overtime win in Arkadelphia in February 17. The All GAC Basketball Championship contests stream on
GACSportsNetwork.com.