Indeed, there is a thin line between love and hate. That line is Highway 67 in Arkadelphia, AR. The duel at Duke-Wells on Jan. 16 ended in an HSU victory. Henderson (17-7, 12-6 GAC) crossed enemy lines Thursday night looking to escape with a win.
HSU would run off early in the game, leading by as much as 13. We must give credit to Ouachita’s poor shooting, as the rim seemed to have a lid on it for the Tigers to start the game. They would find an opening before halftime as they shot their way back to within three to end the half at 37-34.
Out of the locker room, OBU would maintain its momentum, keeping the score close the remainder of the game. As HSU head coach Jimmy Elgas has said before, his guys’ defense is what they pride themselves on, as well as the consistent late-game heroics of senior forward Rel Johnson and paint protector Raekwon Rodgers. They both played major parts in the final 20 minutes of the barn burner.
Rodgers’ made up for lost time as he wouldn’t appear until the second half but made sure his presence was felt. His 15-point, 10-rebound game, and both his and Johnson’s points from the charity stripe were enough to hold off the Tigers for yet another Henderson triumph, 82-72.
Henderson has only four games remaining to cap off their regular season. Their next game will be a homestand against SWOSU on Feb. 20 at 7:30 pm. Senior night will take place Feb. 22 as the Reddies host NWOSU at 3 pm.