Raining Threes: Bisons Complete Long-Distance Comeback to Defeat West Alabama

Bradley Spencer hits game-winning three-pointer with three seconds left.

LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Harding made five three-pointers in the final 90 seconds, including the game-winner by sophomore Bradley Spencer with just three ticks left, and the Bisons pulled off an improbable comeback in a 69-68 victory over West Alabama on Monday.

Harding (5-1) trailed by 14 points, 64-50, with only 2:48 left in the game. The Bisons outscored the Tigers 19-4 the rest of the way.

The run began with a pair of free throws by freshman Hayden Johnson with 2:38 left. After a West Alabama miss, Sam Brown was fouled and hit two free throws to cut the lead to 10 with 1:42 left.

Harding fouled West Alabama’s Trevell Coleman, who made 1-of-2 free throws. Johnson hit a three-pointer to cut it Harding’s deficit to eight, and Harding forced turnovers on the next two Tiger possessions. After the second turnover, Johnson nailed another three-pointer with 54 seconds left that cut the lead to 65-60.

Coleman went to the line again, and again made only one. Spencer rebounded the miss and quickly dribbled down, pulled up and hit his second three-pointer with 27 seconds left that brought Harding within four.

Harding fouled Coleman again, and it paid off, as he missed both free throws. Bison redshirt freshman Weston Jameson got open at the other end and trimmed the lead to 67-66 with yet another three-pointer, this one with 16 ticks remaining.

Jameson then fouled West Alabama’s Ibrahim Appiah, who made the first free throw but missed the second. Appiah then fouled Jameson on the rebound with eight seconds left and West Alabama ahead 68-66.

Jameson could have tied the game by making both free throws, but he missed the first and missed the second intentionally. After the second miss, the ball went out of bounds off a West Alabama player.

Harding inbounded the ball and Spencer took a dribble hand-off at the top of the key, elevated and drilled the game-winner with three seconds on the clock.
Alquan Mendenhall’s desperation three-pointer at the buzzer missed.

Harding made 7-of-11 three-pointers in the second half, including its 5-of-7 effort during the comeback.

Spencer led Harding with 13 points, 10 of them coming in the second half. Jameson and Stephen Blake both had 11.

Mendenhall and Korrielle Beavers both had 15 points to lead West Alabama (3-3).

Harding’s late three-point barrage helped it overcome 26 turnovers. West Alabama outscored Harding 35-9 off turnovers.

The Bisons, who opened the season with five of six games away from home, return to Searcy on Thursday to meet Champion Baptist at 7:30 p.m. in the Rhodes Field House.