FORT SMITH, Ark. - The No. 4 seed Southern Nazarene came up just short in its bid for a Great American Conference Tournament title Sunday afternoon, falling 73-68 to No. 3 seed Harding at Northside Arena.
The championship meeting marked a rematch of last year's title game between the two programs, with Harding (24-7,17-5 GAC) once again edging the Crimson Storm (23-8, 15-7 GAC) to claim the conference crown.
Southern Nazarene battled throughout the contest but was forced to play from behind most of the afternoon after Harding opened the game on a strong run. The Bisons shot 66.7 percent from the floor in the first half and knocked down six three-pointers to build a 40-32 lead at the break.
Despite the early deficit, the Crimson Storm refused to go away. SNU chipped away in the second half behind a balanced offensive effort, trimming the lead to a single possession late in the game. The Storm outscored Harding 36-33 in the final 20 minutes, but the Bisons were able to hold off the late push to secure the five-point victory.
Tracy Godfrey Jr. led the Storm with 15 points while adding four rebounds. Baron Bracey followed with 12 points and five rebounds, while Aaron Potter also added 12 points. Brady Cook provided a strong lift off the bench with 12 points and four assists.
Southern Nazarene shot 44 percent from the field and went 18-for-21 from the free throw line while getting 33 points from its bench.
Three members of the Crimson Storm earned All-Tournament Team honors, including Baron Bracey, Tracy Godfrey Jr., and Joe Mpoyo.
The Crimson Storm will now await their postseason fate to see if they earn an at-large bid into the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship.
