SE Athletics
SEARCY, Ark. – Tori Kilburn poured in a game-high 26 points but Southeastern was unable to mount a rally in an 81-69 road loss to No. 15 Harding on Thursday night in Searcy, Ark.
The loss drops the Savage Storm to 5-10 overall and 2-7 in Great American Conference play heading into a Saturday afternoon contest against Arkansas Tech at 1 p.m. in Russellville, Ark.
Kilburn finished the contest with 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting and completed a double-double by pulling down 10 rebounds.
Kenzli Warden followed in double-figures with 12 points, while Abbie Barr checked in with 10 points while handing out a team-best four assists.
Katie Allen came off the bench with a pair of threes to finish with nine points while Breanna Lindert added seven.
After HU scored the first five points of the game, the Storm responded with a 7-0 run that saw Barr connect on a jumper and a three to take an early 7-5 lead.
SE pushed its lead out to four points by the midway point of the opening frame, but the Bisons crept back and regained the advantage 16-15 with 2:44 to play.
The Storm got back-to-back buckets from Breanna Lindert to take a 19-16 lead, but Harding closed the quarter with eight-straight points to lead at the break 24-19.
Southeastern came out strong in the second quarter, using a 13-3 run with all 13 points scored by Kilburn, taking a 32-27 lead with 7:06 to play in the first half.
HU responded with a 12-0 run, retaking the lead and pushing it out to 39-32 with 3:16 to play in the quarter.
That deficit would reach 11 points before a pair of Stinchcomb free throws with five seconds to play made the halftime score 44-35.
Harding pushed its lead to double figures early in the third, but back-to-back buckets from Wearden and Kilburn closed the gap back to nine points by the seven-minute mark.
SE was edged out by a 13-8 edge over the final seven minutes of the quarter and headed to the fourth down 61-44.
The Bisons pushed their lead to 21 points early in the fourth quarter, but the Storm answered with a 7-0 run, trimming the deficit back to 68-54.
SE would continue chipping away, but was unable to mount a full scale rally, closing the final score to 81-69.