SEARCY – The Harding women's basketball team looks for their third straight Gulf South Conference win Saturday as they travel to Russellville, Ark., to take on #5 Arkansas. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. The Lady Bisons head into the game with an 11-9 overall record and a 4-4 GSC record.
LAST TIME: Arkansas Tech shot 58.2 percent from the field to take home a 95-68 victory over Harding in Searcy earlier this season. The Golden Suns had eight players shoot above 50 percent from the field. Katie Horsman was 5-of-5 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 from behind the three-point line. The Lady Bisons had a good night from the free throw line, hitting 27-of-35. Bailey St. Clair hit 12-of-16 from the free throw line and ended with a team high 18 points. Senior Stacey Owens wasn't far behind St. Clair scoring 17 points on the night. Owens led the Lady Bisons on the boards, grabbing seven. Sophomore Sierra Rollins tied a career high with 16 points. St. Clair had a career high five assists in the game.
COACHES: Harding is coached by Tim Kirby, who enters his fifth season at the helm of the Lady Bisons. Kirby has a 80-54 career record. Kirby took over the Lady Bison program before the 2005-06 season after serving 12 seasons as the Harding's men's basketball assistant.
Arkansas Tech is coached by Dave Wilbers, who enters his third season as head coach of the Golden Suns. Wilbers has compiled a 45-15 overall record.
THE LADY BISONS: Harding is coming off a 68-67 win over Henderson State this past Thursday night in GSC action. Junior guard Bailey St. Clair had a career-high 29 points, hitting 8-of-12 from the field and 11-of-12 from the free throw line.
The Lady Bisons are averaging 13.3 points off second chance opportunities. Harding averages 13.4 offensive rebounds a game. Bailey St. Clair leads the Lady Bisons in rebounds, averaging 5.3 a game. Three are offensive rebounds, ranking eighth in the GSC.
Rollins is shooting 51.8 percent from the field to lead the Lady Bisons. She has really come on strong of late, averaging 14.8 points and 8.5 rebounds in the last four games. Rollins is second on the team in rebounds, averaging 5.3 a game.
The Lady Bisons are averaging 11.9 steals per game, ranking them second in the GSC and 29th in the NCAA. St. Clair leads the GSC in steals per game with an average of 3.1. She also needs four steals to become Harding's single-season steals leader, currently she is at 61.
St. Clair leads the Lady Bisons, averaging 13.7 points per game, ranking her ninth in the GSC in scoring. Owens is close behind her averaging 13.3 points per game.
THE GOLDEN SUNS: Arkansas Tech (21-1, 8-1 GSC) is coming off a 90-86 overtime win against Henderson State this past Thursday. The Golden Suns had all five starters end in double-figure scoring, two had 20 plus points. Jenny Vining led with 23 points.
Arkansas Tech leads the GSC in scoring offense, averaging 82.1 points per game which ranks them third in NCAA Division II. The Golden Suns also lead the GSC in scoring margin. They average 22.5 more points than their opponents, which also ranks them third in the NCAA Division II. Arkansas Tech leads the GSC in field goal percentage, averaging 48.5 percent from the field this season, ranking them fifth in NCAA Division II. The Golden Suns average 38.0 percent from behind the three-point line, ranking them first in the GSC and fifth in NCAA Division II. Their defense is one of the best in the GSC as well, holding their opponents to shooting an average of 35.2 percent from the field, ranking them first in the GSC, and holding their opponents to shooting 25.6 percent from behind the three-point line, which also ranks first in the GSC. They also lead the GSC in assists per game (20.3) and steals per game (14.1).
The Golden Suns are led by Vining, who averages 19.6 points per game and a team high four assists per game. Natalia Santos averages 14.8 points per game and leads ATU on the boards averaging 7.5 rebounds per game. Jessica Weatherford also averages double-figures with 10.3 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game.
SERIES: Arkansas Tech leads the series 45-2.
