By CAITLYN HAYGARTH | HSU Sports Network

ARKADELPHIA — Henderson State notched another win Saturday as they defeated the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith 77-66. HSU has opened the season 2-0 at home and is currently riding an early two-game win streak.

Three Reddies posted double-digit points in the 11-point win over the Lions. Ashley Farrar paced the Henderson offense with 21-points and has now posted three 20-point games in a row. Abbie Jiles went 5-7 from beyond the arc, scoring 19 points, while Gracie Raby had 16 points.

Bobbi Bazzle had a career-high 15 rebounds, which is ten more than her previous high of five from a year ago against Southeastern Oklahoma. Sonni Martin was the creator for the Reddies as she picked out the gaps in the Lion’s defense with six assists. Henderson shot 31% from the field and 43% from deep while going 23-32 from the free throw line.

Arkansas-Fort Smith opened the scoring, but its lead would only last a short while as Henderson outscored the Lions 9-2 in the first five minutes. The Reddies took advantage of eight trips to the charity line, connecting on six of them. Martin closed out the first 10 minutes with a field goal to give HSU a 20-14 lead.

Freshman Brynlee Huggins started the second frame with a three-pointer, and the Reddies continued to attack from deep as Farrar, Martin and Jiles connected from beyond the arc to expand the lead to 32-22. A pair of free throws for UAFS would end the first half with Henderson in front 36-29.

After a four-point run to open the period for the Reddies, the two sides went back and forth. The chaotic period gave UAFS a chance to close the gap on the HSU lead. The Lions outscored Henderson 18-15 in the frame and would cut into the Reddie lead to trail by four points, 51-47.

Heading into the final period, the Reddies’ lead was only four points, but five points from Jiles in the first minute of the period grew the team’s lead to eight, 55-47. Farrar got in on the scoring action with a trey, and Jiles would score her second triple of the period to put the Reddies up 55-47. In a high-scoring quarter, the Reddies’ offense proved too much for the Lions, outscoring them 26-19.

Henderson State (2-2, 0-0) returns to action on Wednesday, Nov. 23 at 4 p.m. to take on Texas Tyler in the Duke Wells Center.