The Bisons (22-9) used a 15-2 run to take a 53-51 lead with 11:36 remaining. Over the course of the contest, neither team held a lead of greater than six. Sunday represented the second final decided by a single point. In 2021, Arkansas-Monticello defeated Southern Arkansas by the same 75-74 score.
Trailing 75-70, the Crimson Storm (22-7) drew closer in the final seconds on a layup by Baron Bracey and then they forced a jump ball. Stevie Strong missed a tying 3-pointer but a put back from Colby Henderson made the deficit one, 75-74, with 1.9 seconds left. After two missed free throws, a desperation Crimson Storm heave came after the final buzzer to give Harding its first GAC title since 2014. Head coach Weston Jameson won Tournament MVP honors for the 2014 squad and became the first person to win a GAC men’s basketball title as both a player and coach.
Keyln McBride garnered MVP honors after scoring 27 points on 10-of-12 shooting in 40 minutes of action. Rylie Marshall made four 3-pointers as part of an 18-point performance.
Marshall, Sam Smith and Stetson Smithson joined McBride on the All-Tournament Team. Smithson averaged 8.3 rebounds across the three games and Smith averaged 16.0 points.
Bracey and Strong represented the Crimson Storm on the team. Strong averaged 18.0 points per game while Bracey added 15.7 per game, Henderson State’s Rondae Hill and Ouachita Baptist’s Reggie Martin filled out the eight-member team.
With the Bisons defeating the top-seeded Crimson Storm one day after knocking No. 2 Ouachita Baptist, Harding became third GAC champion to topple the tournament’s top two seeds on its path to the title. Ouachita Baptist pulled off the feat in both 2013 and 2016.
The Bisons earned the program’s seventh berth to the NCAA Tournament, first since 2016. Harding will learn its opponent and destination during Sunday night’s NCAA Selection show. It streams on NCAA.com at 10:00 p.m.
Get Local News!
