SEARCY – The Harding Bisons go in search of their third straight Gulf South Conference victory Saturday as they take on the nation's top-ranked team, Arkansas Tech, at the Tucker Coliseum.
COACHES: Harding is coached by Jeff Morgan, who enters his 18th season as the Head coach of the Bisons. Morgan has compiled a 300-201 record at HU. He has 283 of those victories in his 17 seasons at Harding.
Arkansas Tech is coached by Mark Downey, who is in his fifth year as head coach of the Wonder Boys and has a 69-41 record.
THE BISONS: Harding is currently 3-5 and in sixth place in the GSC West, but are only one game out of fourth. Tech is in first place at 9-0, one game ahead of Delta State. The top four teams advance to the GSC Tournament.
Harding head coach Jeff Morgan earned his 300th career victory Saturday at Henderson State. He has 283 of those victories in his 17 seasons at Harding.
Harding has two players averaging in double figures during the GSC season. Junior Kevin Brown leads the team with 15.3 points per game and sophomore Kirk Porter is second with 12.0 points per game.
Junior Kevin Brown is moving closer to becoming only the 31st Harding player to score 1,000 points in a career. Brown enters the Arkansas Tech game with 963 career points.
Kevin Brown is averaging 13.6 points and 8.1 rebounds in seven career games vs. Arkansas Tech. Trent Morgan has an 11.8 ppg average in nine career games vs. the Wonder Boys.
Harding will be playing its second game against a nationally-ranked team this season. The first came when Arkansas Tech was ranked No. 2. Harding is 9-20 all-time vs. ranked NCAA opponents with five of those wins coming on the road. This will be Harding's first game ever against a No. 1-ranked team.
Harding has had four different players score 20 points or more in a Gulf South Conference game this season -- Kirk Porter (26), Stephen Blake (22), Kevin Brown (21) and Sam Brown (21).
THE WONDER BOYS: Arkansas Tech is a member of the Gulf South Conference West Division and is located in Russellville, Ark. (pop. 27,600). The Wonder Boys were picked to finish second in the GSC West in the GSC Preseason Coaches Poll.
Arkansas Tech ranks in the top 10 nationally in four different statistical categories-- Turnover Margin (2nd, 7.6), Scoring Margin (4th, 21.0), 3pt FG Defense (8th, 28.6) and Scoring Defense (9th, 59.8). The Wonder Boys are one of only two undefeated Division II schools, Southern Indiana is the other.
Preseason All-GSC honoree Brandon Friedel, a 6-3 senior from Victoria, Texas, leads the Wonder Boys in scoring (15.5 ppg), 3pt made (69), 3pt Pct. (45.1) and minutes played (30.2 mpg). Junior Laithe Massey leads the team in assists (89) and steals (40).
Arkansas Tech is the second-most foul-prone team in the GSC West Division. The Wonder Boys average 19.5 fouls per game, second only to Ouachita Baptist (20.1).
SERIES: Harding and Arkansas Tech are meeting for the 106th time with the Wonder Boys leading the series 54-52. Arkansas Tech has won the last two meetings in Russellville, snapping a seven-game Harding streak. The Wonder Boys won the first meeting this season 82-71 in Searcy.
