Domino Miller set a career high in points scored for the second straight game as the Ouachita Baptist University women’s basketball team used a huge run to open the second half in hold off Harding, 72-66, Saturday during Senior Night in the Gulf South Conference West Division finale at the Rhodes Field House.
Miler, who previously scored a career-high 20 points against rival Henderson State on Thursday, finished with a team-high 21 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including draining four 3-pointers. A’Laeshia Adams recorded 20 points on 6-of-10 from the floor and Gabby Coleman added 14 as Ouachita (20-7 overall, 9-5 GSC West) earned the No. 4 seed for next week’s Gulf South Conference Tournament at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Miss.
The Lady Tigers, who have won 15 more games than they did all of last season, were 21-of-58 (36 percent) from the field and 22-of-44 (50 percent) from the charity stripe.
Harding (19-9, 5-9), who earned the No. 5 seed in the tournament after Henderson State lost to Delta State, led 33-27 at the half. However, Ouachita started the second half on fire, including three straight 3-pointers by Miller as the Lady Tigers used a 26-5 run, capped by two shots at the line by Miller to grab a 53-38 lead with 10:33 remaining.
The Lady Bisons wouldn’t go away quietly though, cutting the deficit to 60-55 after a Catherine McMenamy layup with 5:12 remaining. The Lady Tigers extended the margin to 64-55 after a Coleman 3-pointer with 3:13 left.
But Harding remained poised on Senior Night to try to make one last run, cutting the Ouachita lead to 66-60 after a layup by Leah Fugett with 1:34 remaining. The Lady Tigers got points in the final minute and a half from Coleman, Adams and Miller to get the 72-66 victory.
In the first half, Ouachita raced out to a 16-12 lead with 11:28 remaining after two free throws by Kim Beverly, but Harding used a 15-5 run, capped by a Stacey Owens free throw to grab a 27-21 advantage with 2:33 left in the first half.
The Lady Bisons extended the margin to 33-25 after a layup by Leah Fugett, but Beverly’s jumper as time expired cut the Harding lead to 33-27 as the two teams headed into the break.
Stacey Owens led Harding with a double-double, 26 points and 11 rebounds, while Sierra Rollins finished with 11 points. The Lady Bisons were 21-of-60 (35 percent) shooting and 18-of-28 (64 percent) from the free-throw line.
Ouachita, which won its 20th game for the first time since the 2000-2001 season, opens up Gulf South Conference Tournament action on 2:45 p.m., Wednesday, March 4 against either the East Division No. 5 seed, Montevallo at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Miss.
