CLEVELAND, Miss. – The 17th-ranked Harding men's basketball team has had nine days off since its last game, an 89-82 victory over Ouachita Baptist in Arkadelphia on Feb. 3. The rest might have done the Bisons some good, as they will face a four-games-in-seven-days gauntlet beginning Saturday against Delta State in Cleveland, Miss.
The game will be broadcast live in Searcy on KVHU-95.3 FM radio. Live audio will be available on HardingSports.com.
For the second time this season, Harding had a game postponed by snow that setup the stamina-challenging week ahead. The Bisons were set to play Arkansas-Monticello on Thursday in Searcy, but a storm that dumped 6-8 inches of snow on appropriately-named White County changed those plans. Harding and Arkansas-Monticello will now play Monday in Searcy.
Harding's win over Ouachita Baptist bumped the Bisons up three spots in the NABC/Division II Coaches Poll, as the Bisons landed at 17th, its highest-ever ranking during the NCAA era that began in 1997-98. Harding remained at No. 7 in the NCAA Division II South Region Rankings, which still has the squad in the picture for a postseason tournament berth.
Diminutive guard Stephen Blake carried Harding through the second half of the game against Ouachita Baptist, leading the Bisons back from a nine-point halftime deficit. He made six 3-pointers and 11 free throws in the second half alone and scored a career-high 31 points. Blake garnered his second Gulf South Conference Player of the Week award for his efforts.
Blake, who shoots a GSC-best 58.1 percent from 3-point range, has led a trend that has Harding up to seventh in Division II in 3-point shooting. The Bisons are hitting 40.5 percent of their 3-pointers and tied a season high with 13 against Ouachita Baptist.
Harding enters the game with Delta State with a 17-3 overall record. It is the Bisons' best-ever mark after 20 games, topping the 16-4 ledger of the 1995-96 team that played in the NAIA National Tournament. Harding is 7-1 in GSC play for the first time in 11 seasons in the conference. The Bisons are one game behind West Division leader Arkansas Tech.
Delta State enters the game 11-10 overall and 5-3 in the GSC West. The Statesmen have won their last three games despite missing several players due to injury. Delta State is in sole possession of third place in the conference.
With all the injuries, the one constant for Delta State has been the play of senior guard Phil Turner, a transfer from Mississippi State. Turner has played 17 of the last 18 games and has scored 10 or more points in each of his last 14 outings. Also one of the conference's top defenders, Turner has a team-high 46 steals.
Delta State is one of the top rebounding teams in the GSC, especially on the offensive end. The Statesmen average a conference-best 14.0 offensive rebounds and have a +3.5 rebounding margin. Delta State struggles at the free throw line, where it ranks last in the GSC and 252nd nationally at just 62.2 percent.
Harding and Delta State are meeting for the second time this season. The Bisons defeated the Statesmen 88-80 on Jan. 15 in Searcy. Blake made five of Harding's 13 3-pointers in that game and led the team with 22 points. The Bisons' margin of victory could have been much higher, but the team shot only 47 percent (17-of-36) from the free throw line.
This will be the 23rd meeting between Harding and Delta State and the 11th in Cleveland. The Bisons are seeking just their second win at Sillers Coliseum. The first came 2008, an 104-95 victory in which Matt Hall tied his career high with 37 points.
