SEARCY, Ark. - Southern Nazarene went head to head with the Bisons coming up just short in a tight 67-63 loss. 

The Crimson Storm (8-5, 5-2 GAC) got off to a strong start with Katie King knocking down a jumper in the paint to get the ball rolling. Hannah Giddey added a layup, pushing the Storm to an early 6-0 lead that left Harding (11-2, 7-0 GAC) scrambling to keep up. Umi Otsuka added a jumper to extend the lead, and SNU was in control early on. HU found their groove after Josie Williams and Sage Hawley hit a couple of jumpers to chip away at the Storm's lead. By the end of the first quarter, SNU was holding onto a 19-16 lead. 

In the second quarter, HU came out firing, with Rory Geer scoring back to back layups to give the Bisons a boost. Otsuka kept Southern Nazarene in it with another jumper, and Jena Bay and Giddey add buckets to keep the Storm close. Late in the quarter, Otsuka dropped in a layup to give the Storm a spark, but Harding's Jaiden Thomas had a three pointer to give the Bisons the lead. By halftime, SNU was down 34-33. 

The third quarter was back and forth. Geer continued to cause problems for the Storm, opening the half with a layup. Otsuka responded with a jumper to keep SNU close. Harding's Aubrey Isbell hit a three pointer, but Jordan Hoffman answered right back for the Storm with a three of her own, thanks to an assist from Giddey. King fought her way to the basket for a layup and added a free throw after drawing a foul, keeping SNU right in the thick of things. Still, the Bisons managed to hold onto a 52-48 lead heading into the final quarter.

Harding missed an early layup to begin the fourth quarter as Giddey grabbed the rebound to set up Otsuka for a quick layup. Bay and Giddey teamed up for back to back  buckets in the paint, while Giddey also tacked on an assist to Hannah Duncan to keep the Storm going. Harding's Isbell came through with a layup to keep the Bisons ahead, but Giddey kept battling, adding another layup to keep things close. In the end, Harding secured the win over the Storm in the final seconds, 67-63.

Next up
The Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm will travel to Arkansas Tech to take on the Golden Suns on Saturday, January 11, at 1 pm in Russellville.