Henderson Tripped Up Late by Harding in GAC Quarterfinals, 5-4
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April 20, 2018
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Henderson State had a 4-3 lead in its GAC quarterfinal match against Harding on Thursday afternoon, and then led 5-4 in the deciding singles contest, but the Lady Bisons rallied to take the final three sets and defeat the Reddies 5-4 to advance to the semifinal round.
The Reddies took two of the three doubles matches to start the day and gained some momentum heading into individual play with a 2-1 lead. In singles, Henderson got a 7-5, 6-1 win at No. 5 from Mariah Bartlettand a hard-fought 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 three-set win at No. 4 from Lorraine Banimataku, to put itself on the verge of its second-straight GAC semifinal berth.
Leading 4-3 after Harding won at No. 1 and No. 6, and needing just one more singles victory to clinch the match, the Reddies had two opportunities, with No. 2 Thea Minor and No. 3 Sydnee Parker still in play. In what had been a close matchup all season between the two schools, Thursday's contest again fit the bill, as both of the remaining singles matches came down to the third set.
After dropping the opening set 7-6 on a tiebreaker, then rebounding to win a second-set tiebreak, Minor ran out of gas in the third, as Laura Golubic took the final frame 6-1 to tie the match at 4-4.
With everything down to the No. 3 singles contest, Henderson's Sydnee Parker pushed Gabriella Alves to the brink, and grabbed a 5-4 lead in the third set — just one game away from clinching the match for the Reddies. It was not to be, though, as Alves rebounded and won the final three games to take the set 7-5 and the match for the Lady Bisons, 5-4.
Both of the Reddies' losses to Harding this season were decided by one match. Thursday's loss concludes the 2018 season for Henderson.
FINAL RESULTS:
DOUBLES:
1. Shannon/Minor (HSU) def. Takanashi/Golubic 9-8 (7-2)
2. Folse/Kostka (HU) def. Minor/Bartlett (HSU) 8-5
3. Banimataku/Puluspene (HSU) def. Faulkner/Shaw (HU) 8-5
SINGLES:
1. Arisa Takanashi (HU) def. Annie Shannon (HSU) 6-4, 6-0
2. Laura Golubic (HU) def. Thea Minor (HSU) 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (3-7), 6-1
3. Gabriella Alves (HU) def. Sydnee Parker (HSU) 5-7, 7-5, 7-5
4. Lorraine Banimataku (HSU) def. Hana Folse (HU) 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-1
5. Mariah Bartlett (HSU) def. Emily Faulkner (HU) 7-5, 6-1
6. Paulina Kostka (HU) def. Lorish Puluspene (HSU) 6-2, 6-1
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