MANKATO, Minn. – Despite a resilient effort and 19 factors from Josie Williams, the No. 6-seeded and Twentieth-ranked Harding girls’s basketball workforce noticed its season come to a detailed in an 89-82 time beyond regulation loss to No. 14 Fort Hays State in the opening spherical of the NCAA Central Region Tournament on Friday at Bresnan Arena.
Harding (24-8) led for almost 26 minutes of the competition, however couldn’t overcome a historic 46-point efficiency from Fort Hays State’s Talexa Weeter. The sport featured 21 lead modifications and 14 ties in a back-and-forth battle between two of the nation’s top-20 packages.
HOW IT HAPPENED The Lady Bisons used a balanced assault early to bounce out to an 18-16 lead after the primary quarter. In the second interval, Harding caught hearth from deep. Allie Rehl and Maddi Holt mixed for a barrage of three-pointers throughout a 13-2 run that gave the Lady Bisons their largest lead of the sport at 34-23 with 3:38 left in the half.
Harding went into the locker room main 39-35, regardless of Weeter scoring 29 factors in the primary half alone—matching essentially the most factors ever scored by a Harding opponent in an NCAA Tournament sport.
The second half was a defensive wrestle. Harding maintained a slim 57-54 lead heading into the fourth, however the No. 3-seeded Tigers (25-5) opened the ultimate body on a 6-0 run to take the lead. The closing minutes of regulation have been a clinic in clutch capturing. Trailing 75-73 with 18 seconds remaining, Maddi Holt hit a contested baseline jumper with six seconds left to knot the rating at 75 and drive the additional interval.
In time beyond regulation, Kennedy Stout and Kori Sanders offered early buckets to maintain Harding stage at 81-81. However, the Lady Bisons went chilly in the ultimate minute, and Fort Hays State sealed the sport on the free-throw line, going an ideal 8-of-8 from the stripe in the time beyond regulation interval.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Harding was led by Josie Williams, who completed with 19 factors on 6-of-13 capturing. Maddi Holt added 18 factors and 6 rebounds, whereas Kennedy Stout anchored the inside with 15 factors and two blocks. Allie Rehl offered a significant activate the bench with 11 factors, together with three triples.
Fort Hays State’s Talexa Weeter completed with 46 factors and 12 rebounds, setting a brand new document for factors in opposition to a Harding opponent and tying essentially the most factors ever scored in an NCAA Division II Tournament sport. Olivia Mortensen added 27 factors and 10 rebounds for the Tigers.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
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The Lady Bisons completed the sport capturing 43.5% from the sphere and 47.4% (9-of-19) from three-point vary.
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Harding’s bench outscored Fort Hays State’s reserves 17-2.
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This was Harding’s sixth NCAA Tournament look and their first time beyond regulation sport in the nationwide match since 2017.
Harding concludes the 2025-26 season with 24 wins, a Great American Conference regular-season title, and its third consecutive journey to the NCAA Tournament.