Harding Game Notes
SEARCY - The Harding Bisons will look to put an end to a four-game skid and move back into the GSC Tournament picture Saturday when they meet Delta State at Sillers Coliseum for an 8 p.m. tip.
COACHES: Harding is coached by
Jeff Morgan, who is in his 18th season as a head coach and 17th season as head coach of the Bisons. Morgan has a 298-200 career record and a 281-190 record at Harding.
Jason Connor is in his fifth season as the head coach at Delta State and has a 66-35 record.
THE BISONS: Harding is currently 1-4 and in sixth place in the GSC West. DSU is tied for second at 4-1. The top four teams advance to the conference tournament.
Harding junior
Stephen Blake is leading the GSC in free throw percentage at 87.0 percent. Bison senior
Trent Morgan also leads the GSC with 2.06 steals per game. Morgan is tied for seventh in career steals in GSC history.
Harding is second in the GSC in blocked shots with 3.7 blocks per game. Junior
Kevin Brown is Harding's leader and is fifth in the GSC with 1.35 blocks per game. He has six blocks in the last three games.
In two games last season against Delta State last season, Harding's
Sam Brown averaged 11.0 points per game, knocking down four three-pointers and shooting a perfect 4-for-4 at the free throw line.
Harding's
Jeff Morgan is in his 18th season as a head coach and is just two wins short of 300 in his career.
Harding held Arkansas-Monticello to only 33.9 percent shooting on Saturday. It was the sixth time this season the Bisons have held an opponent under 40 percent shooting. Harding is 5-1 in those games with the only loss coming to UAM in overtime.
Arkansas-Monticello had 56 rebounds against Harding on Saturday. It was the most allowed by the Bisons this season and only one short of an HU opponent's record of 57 set by Central Oklahoma in 2000.
THE STATESMEN: Delta State is a member of the Gulf South Conference West Division and is located in Cleveland, Miss. (pop. 12,447). The Statesmen were picked to win the GSC West in the GSC Preseason Coaches Poll.
Delta State ranks second in the GSC and 32nd nationally in assists per game (17.1 apg) and fourth in the GSC and 45th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio. The Statesmen rank fourth in the GSC in scoring at 77.1 points per game.
Chad Akins, a 6-0 point guard from Madison, Miss., leads the GSC and ranks fifth in D2 in assists per game (7.1). He also leads the GSC and ranks eighth nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.24).
Delta State has four Division I transfers on its roster--Joe McCray (Nebraska), Jeremie Davis (New Orleans), Roderick Ollie (Alabama-Birmingham), and Dino Hair (Middle Tennessee State).
DSU enters the game ranked No. 5 in the Division II South Region Rankings. Eight teams from the South Region advance to the NCAA Tournament.
THE SERIES: Harding and Delta State are meeting for the 20th time with the Statesmen leading the series 13-6. Delta State leads 8-1 in Cleveland with Harding's lone win a 104-95 triumph in 2008. Delta State won both meetings last season, including an overtime win in Cleveland.
