Harding Handles Henderson
Reddies’ Whaley Rewrites Record Books, But Efforts Not Enough In Road Loss
January 22, 2021
Senior forward Karrington Whaley had an outstanding performance Thursday night, as she became the Reddies’ all-time leader in blocks as she finished the game with 6 rebounds. Whaley was not the only Henderson State player to have a memorable night. Ashley Farrar tallied a career-high 23 points, while Sonni Martin chipped in 14 points off the bench.
Early on, Farrar was the spark the Reddies needed. Upon subbing into the game, she had an instant scoring impact with 8 points in the first quarter alone.
The fast-paced style of play produced a back-and-forth game trend early on, as both teams managed to go on their own respective scoring runs. At the end of the first quarter, HSU found themselves down 28-20 after accumulating fouls, which led to free throws, bailing the Bisons out.
Harding continued to add on to their lead early in the second as it stretched from 8 to 12 points. HSU’s defensive efforts also intensified as they forced turnovers to squeeze the gap. At the half, Harding held a 51-41 lead over Henderson State.
Farrar was the leading scorer for Henderson at halftime with 17 points. Redshirt freshman guard Sonni Martin also contributed energy and immediate offense, pouring in 13 points of her own in the game, fueling Henderson to get within one point.
Out of the intermission, Whaley’s defensive presence shifted the momentum back to HSU, along with Farrar’s hot shooting display (4 3-pointers) that kept Henderson within striking distance. The Reddies continued their efforts to reduce the margin as Harding looked to extend their lead coming out of the break.
The third quarter leveraged in favor of the Bisons, as Harding came out the break with explosive play on both sides of the ball. Harding outscored HSU 22-12 in the third period, giving them a comfortable 73-53 advantage heading into the final 10 minutes.
Although the third quarter favored the Bisons, Henderson gave a good fourth-quarter effort, outscoring Harding 20-19 to end the game. Time would prevail, and Harding handed the Reddies a 93-72 loss, putting Henderson at a 1-2 record on the season.
The Reddies look to bounce back at home on Saturday against Arkansas-Monticello.
