Harding guard Wyatt Gilbert hugs teammate Rylie Marshall after the team won the Great American Conference Tournament Sunday in Fort Smith. (Photo courtesy of M&M Productions via Bomber Basketball)
A Mountain Home High School alum is currently playing basketball for Harding University in Searcy, and his team has secured a spot in the NCAA Division II Tournament. Wyatt Gilbert and the Bisons defeated Southern Nazarene 75-74 Sunday in Fort Smith to win the Great American Conference Tournament and secure an automatic bid.
Gilbert scored five points in the game and came up with some big plays. According to hardingsports.com, the Bison senior guard hit a driving go-ahead layup with 3:40 left. He also grabbed an offensive rebound, leading to a three-pointer by Rylie Marshall, and drew an offensive foul against the Crimson Storm on the very next play.
Gilbert has been a key player in his final year with Harding as he has appeared in all 31 games with one start. He’s averaging nearly 20 minutes and seven points per game this season. Gilbert’s career high came on Feb. 23 when he scored 19 points to lead the Bisons past Southeastern Oklahoma State 95-74.
Harding will enter the NCAA Tournament as the No. 8 seed in the Central Region. The Bisons will begin in Topeka, Kan., Saturday evening at 5 against Washburn. The Ichabods are hosting the region as the top-seeded team. The winner of the Central Region will advance to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight scheduled for March 25-29 in Evansville, Ind.
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