SEARCY – Harding goes in search of its sixth straight victory overall and its nine straight at home on Saturday when it hosts Missouri S&T at the Rhodes Field House for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
ON THE WEB: Live video, live audio and live statistics will all be available for the game on HardingSports.com. The links are available on the site's front page.
HARDING'S PROBABLE STARTERS
NOTES ON THE HARDING-MISSOURI S&T GAME
Harding enters the game with an 8-1 record after defeating North Alabama 89-87 in overtime on Tuesday in Florence, Ala. The Bisons rallied from 11 points behind with 1:01 left in the game to send the game into overtime. Harding's current five-game winning streak is the longest in the GSC.
The comeback against North Alabama was the third this season for the Bisons when trailing by more than 10 points in the second half. Harding trailed by 13 points with 10:41 left in the second half against LeMoyne-Owen and won 86-81. The Bisons trailed by 14 points with 2:48 left and defeated West Alabama 69-68, and trailed by 11 points with 1:01 left against North Alabama and won 89-87 in overtime.
Missouri S&T enters the game with a 5-2 record. The Miners are a member of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference. Saturday's game will be only the second road game of the season for Missouri S&T. The Miners fell 72-67 at William Jewell on Nov. 23. Missouri S&T is coming off a 74-54 GLVC victory over Illinois-Springfield on Dec. 4.
Harding enters the game with three players averaging 10 or more points, but the Bisons have seven players averaging seven points per game or more. Senior Stephen Blake leads the team in scoring at 12.9 points per game and assists with 2.7 assists per game. Senior Kevin Brown averages 11.6 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds per game.
Sophomore guard Bryce Foster leads Missouri S&T with 16.3 points and 2.6 assists per game. Senior forward Maurice Grinter , a transfer from the University of Kentucky, averages a team-best and GLVC-best 9.1 rebounds per game.
Harding ranks second in the GSC in free throw percentage at 74.0 percent. The Bisons have made 196-of-235 free throws, both conference highs. Harding's opponents have shot only 196 free throws. The Bisons average 8.3 more free throws made per game than their opponents.
Harding sophomore Bradley Spencer leads the GSC in free throw percentage at 94.4 percent. He has made 17-of-18. Stephen Blake is sixth at 84.4 percent.
The Bisons are also second in the conference in scoring defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 38.4 percent. In Harding's nine games, opponents have shot over 40 percent only three times and over 50 percent only once.
Missouri S&T leads the GLVC in scoring defense (60.1), field goal defense (36.5 percent) and three-point field goal defense (24.7).
Harding is coached by Jeff Morgan, in his 18th season as head coach of the Bisons. Morgan has a 296-195 record at Harding and is 4-1 in his career against Missouri S&T. Jim Glash is in his second season as head coach at Missouri S&T. He has a 12-23 record.
Harding and Missouri S&T are meeting for the seventh time. The Bisons lead the series 4-2 and won 75-70 last season in Rolla, Mo. Harding has won both meetings in Searcy, 102-77 in 2005 and 84-62 in 2008.
Bison senior Kevin Brown needs three blocked shots to become Harding's career leader.
