MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Harding men's basketball will play for the first time in 13 days Sunday as the Bisons meet Christian Brothers at Canale Arena at 3 p.m. It will be the final non-conference game of the season for Harding, who returns to Great American Conference play on Jan. 3 in Searcy against Southwestern Oklahoma.
Live audio, video and statistics will be available for the game courtesy of the Christian Brothers sports information department. Links will also be available on the calendar at HardingSports.com.
Harding (7-3) won the first two meetings between the former Gulf South Conference foes. The Bisons defeated the Bucs, who were ranked 12th in Division II at the time, 68-63 in overtime at Rhodes Field House on Nov. 26.
Senior guard Bradley Spencer scored 22 points and senior forward Zach Roddenberry had 19 points and 13 rebounds in the victory, but a pair of 3-pointers from junior Hayden Johnson in overtime proved to be the difference. Christian Brothers (6-2) only played six players in the game and was led by Harry Green and Pat Graham, who both scored 15 points. Graham made five of Christian Brothers' seven 3-pointers.
Harding's last outings came at the Oahu Classic in Hawaii on Dec. 16-17. The Bisons defeated 10th-ranked Northwest Missouri State 68-66 before falling to St. Edward's 69-66.
Christian Brothers has won two straight but has not played since defeating LeMoyne-Owen 74-52 on Dec. 19 in Memphis.
Harding holds a 36-32 lead in the all-time series against Christian Brothers, but the Bucs have a 20-12 advantage in Memphis. The Bisons have won three of the last four meetings at Canale Arena.
NOTES: Harding enters the game as the GAC's leader in free throw percentage (73.9 percent) … Roddenberry ranks third in the GAC in scoring (19.0 points per game) and fifth in rebounding (7.4 per game) … Roddenberry also leads the conference in field goal percentage (67.9 percent) … Christian Brothers leads the GSC in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.23) … Harry Green leads the GSC with 36.5 minutes played per game.
