Harding Game Notes
SEARCY – The Harding Bisons play their final regular season game of the 2009-10 season Saturday in Arkadelphia, Ark., against Ouachita Baptist. Tipoff at Vining Arena is at 5 p.m.
COACHES: Harding is coached by Jeff Morgan, who enters his 18th season as the Head coach of the Bisons. Morgan has compiled a 304-202 record at HU. He has 287 of those victories in his 17 seasons at Harding.
Ouachita Baptist is coached by Mark Price, who is in his first year as head coach of the Tigers and has an 8-18 record.
THE BISONS: The Bisons are still alive for the fourth seed from the West Division in the GSC Tournament. For Harding to qualify, Arkansas Tech must defeat Christian Brothers in Russellville, Ark. The game is scheduled to tipoff at 6 p.m.
The Bisons have won a season-best five straight games and seven of their last eight. Harding started GSC play with a 1-5 record after its first six games.
Harding is currently 7-6 and tied with Christian Brothers for fourth place in the GSC West. Ouachita Baptist is in sixth place at 4-9 and has been eliminated from tournament contention.
Stephen Blake has averaged 18.4 points per game over his last five games. He has shot 21-of-42 (50%) from the field, 13-of-19 (68%) from three-point range, and 37-of-40 (93%) from the foul line.
Trent Morgan had two steals against Delta State and moved into fourth place in career steals in GSC history with 179.
Harding leads all GSC West teams with 26.5 free throws attempted per game. Against Delta State, Harding shot 53 free throws for the second time this season, tied for the fifth-most in a Harding single game. Harding has shot 690 free throws this season. The record is 880 in 1995-96 (29.3 pg).
Harding senior
Trent Morgan shot 14-of-21 from the free throw line against Delta State. It was tied for the eighth-most free throws made in a game and tied for the third-most attempted. It has been more than 18 seasons since a Harding player has shot as many as 21 free throws in a game.
THE TIGERS: Ouachita Baptist is a member of the Gulf South Conference West Division and is located in Arkadelphia, Ark. (pop. 10,584). The Tigers were selected eighth in the GSC preseason poll.
Ouachita Baptist ranks in the top five in the GSC in free throw percentage (5th, 67.7%), three-point field goal percentage defense (5th, 32.6) and rebounding defense (5th, 32.7).
Austin Mitchell, a 6-5 guard from Conway, Ark., ranks fifth in the GSC in three-point field goal percentage (42.6) and seventh in three-pointers made per game (2.05). Belford Williams, one of OBU's two seniors, ranks seventh in blocked shots (1.23) and sixth in offensive rebounds (2.69).
Ouachita Baptist ranks in the bottom three in the GSC in scoring offense (13th, 64.4), field goal percentage (12th, 43.0), rebounding margin (12th, -3.0), assists (13th, 11.92) and turnover margin (13th, -2.85).
SERIES: Harding and Ouachita Baptist are playing for the 114th time with the Tigers leading the all-time series 64-49. The Bisons have won the last six straight and eight of the last nine. Harding has won three of the last four in Arkadelphia. OBU's last win in the series came in 2007.
