Box Score (html)
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – For the third time in the last eight games, SWOSU Men's Basketball dropped a one-possession contest, falling to Harding by a score of 90-89 on Thursday evening at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center in Weatherford.
Despite trailing by eight at halftime, the Bulldogs opened the second half on a 12-2 run to take a 53-51 lead with 16:19 to play after an old fashioned three-point play from
Charles Beauregard, Jr. SWOSU used a 10-2 run midway through the half to take their biggest lead of the game, going up 73-65 with 8:08 to play after
Cooper Battisti got a steal and breakaway layup that led to a timeout from Harding.
Harding answered with their own run, outscoring SWOSU 17-4 over the next four and a half minutes to regain the lead by a score of 82-77 with 2:28 to play. The Bulldogs would not go away, getting back within one in the final on a jumper from
Devin Pugh with 50 seconds remaining made it 85-84. Harding hit three-of-four free throws to hold an 88-84 lead with 17 seconds to play, but Pugh was fouled shooting on a three and sent to the line for free throws with eight seconds remaining.
After hitting his first two attempts at the stripe, Pugh missed his third and SWOSU again had to foul and send the Bisons to the line with six seconds left. Harding hit both attempts to go back on top 90-86, allowing them to hold on and win despite a three-pointer from Beauregard with less than one second to play.
Nine different players scored for the Bulldogs, who were led by Beauregard with 32 points on 10-of-23 shooting from the field while knocking down 10-of-11 free throw attempts. Pugh added 17 points and a team-leading eight rebounds while
Collin Jennings led the Dawgs with five assists.
SWOSU (3-17, 1-13 GAC) returns to action on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 pm when they host Arkansas Tech.
