MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Freshman guard Jaida Harden netted a career-high 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting and seniors Rosa Bryant and Tierra Tucker added double-figure scoring totals as Southern Arkansas defeated Henderson State 78-70 on Thursday evening inside the W.T. Watson Center.
 
Harden delivered seven key points in the fourth quarter of action as an inside basket broke a 58-58 tie with 8:20 to play, while a layup just inside the four-minute mark pushed the Lady Mulerider (9-2, 5-2 GAC) lead to six, before she drilled a three-pointer on the next possession to put SAU up nine, 70-61.
 
The win moves Southern Arkansas into a tie with Henderson State (6-7, 5-2 GAC) for third-place in the Great American Conference standings and sets the stage for a big matchup with GAC-leader and 22^nd-ranked Arkansas Tech on Saturday afternoon inside Tucker Coliseum.
 
Bryant's ninth double-double of the season came at a clip of a team-high 19 points and a game-high dozen rebounds. Tucker added a season-high 15 points and finished a rebound shy of her first double-double of the year, while adding six assists and three steals.
 
The Lady Muleriders saw Henderson State construct a six-point lead four and a half minutes into the opening quarter, but Harden added a pair of jumpers following a bucket from classmate Alyssa Hamilton that brought SAU within one at 13-12 with 3:36 left in the first quarter.
 
A Bryant jumper at the first quarter horn put SAU up 22-17, while back-and-forth second quarter action saw the Lady Muleriders push their lead to as much as nine, before HSU cut their deficit to 43-38 at the intermission.
 
The Reddies used the three-pointer and a trio of trips to the charity stripe to take their last lead of the game at the 1:07 mark of the third quarter. Harden's aforementioned first bucket of the fourth quarter put SAU up 60-58 and the Lady Muleriders would close out the contest by not allowing the Reddies to get close than four points down the stretch, while connecting on 6-of-11 free-throw attempts as Tucker produced four trips to the line. 
 
SAU dominated the battle inside by outscoring the Reddies 42-24 in the paint, while cashing-in on 18 second-chance points compared to HSU's seven. The Lady Mulerider bench outscored Henderson State's bench 29-5 compliments of Harden's career night and six points apiece from Hamilton and junior guard Makaila Jordan.
 
The Lady Muleriders will face their biggest test of the season on Saturday, January 16, as they travel to Russellville, Arkansas, to match-up with league-leading Arkansas Tech. Tip-off for the GAC clash is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
Be sure to visit muleriderathletics.com for continuing updates and pregame and postgame coverage of Lady Mulerider basketball.