SEARCY, Ark. – The 16th-ranked Harding men's basketball team plays its fourth of four games in a one-week span Saturday against Christian Brothers at the Rhodes Field House. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The game will be broadcast live in Searcy on KVHU 95.3-FM. Live video, live audio and live stats will be available on HardingSports.com.
Harding enters the game 20-3 overall, its best-ever 23-game start and only the fourth 20-win season for a Bison team. Harding last won 20 games in 2002-03 (21-9) and also had 20-win seasons in 1994-95 (22-10) and 1995-96 (24-6). The Bisons are 10-1 in the Gulf South Conference West Division, just one game behind division leader Arkansas Tech. Harding has won its last five games.
The Bisons are coming off a 91-71 victory over Arkansas-Monticello on Thursday in Monticello. It was Harding's highest-scoring output in a road game this season and the highest in a GSC road game since a 104-95 victory over Delta State in 2008. Senior guard Stephen Blake led Harding against UAM with 21 points, but he was one of five Bisons with 10 points or more. Kevin Brown had 20 and Bradley Spencer scored 17.
Christian Brothers enters the game 17-8 overall and 5-6 in the GSC West. The Buccaneers are in fourth place in the GSC West and are looking to hold on to the final spot from the West Division in the GSC Tournament.
CBU has lost three of its last four games and is coming off a 53-49 loss to Ouachita Baptist at home Thursday. Five games ago, the Bucs lost Scott Dennis and Zach Warner, the team's two leading scorers, to injury and have gone 2-3 since.
Harding won the first meeting between the teams this season, 68-58, in Memphis on Jan. 22. Junior forward Kirk Porter led the Bisons with 19 points and 16 rebounds. Sam Brown made four 3-pointers and finished with 18. Harding outscored Christian Brothers 23-8 at the free throw line and made 7-of-14 from 3-point range.
