SEARCY – The Harding men's basketball team under 17th-year head coach Jeff Morgan will open the 2009-10 season Monday against Missouri S&T in Rolla, Mo. Tipoff at the Gale Bullman Multi-Purpose Building is at 7 p.m. Live audio and video of the game will be available on HardingSports.com.
Harding is coming off an 80-77 upset victory over NCAA Division I foe UALR last Sunday in Little Rock in its final preseason game of the year. Junior guard Stephen Blake led the Bisons off the bench with 18 points.
Harding will likely start preseason All-Gulf South Conference selections Trent Morgan and Kevin Brown along with Sam Brown, Kirk Porter and Matt Ragsdale against Missouri S&T.
The Bisons had an 18-12 overall record last season and advanced to the semifinals of the GSC Tournament. Three starters and seven letterwinners return off that squad.
Missouri S&T is a member of the NCAA II Great Lakes Valley Conference. Last season, the Miners finished 9-17 overall. Two of those games came against Harding, and each team won on its own home court.
Harding holds a 3-2 lead over Missouri S&T in the all-time series. The teams have split two previous meetings in Rolla.
