Harding Game Notes

SEARCY – Harding men's basketball will hit the midway point of the Great American Conference season Thursday when it hosts Arkansas Tech at 7:30 p.m. at Rhodes Field House. It will be a clash of two of the most successful teams in the conference's first half.

Harding (14-3, 7-2) enters the game with a one game lead over Arkansas Tech (9-6, 6-3) atop the GAC standings. Southeastern Oklahoma and Southwestern Oklahoma are also tied with Arkansas Tech for the second spot.

The Bisons have won all 10 of their home games to open the 2012-13 season and can tie the school record with a victory. Harding won 11 straight home games to open the 1994-95 and 2002-03 seasons. A victory would also give the Bisons an eight-game winning streak overall, matching the second longest winning streak ever by a Harding team.

The Bisons' latest home victory was likely their most unusual of the season. Harding shot only 20 percent in the first half against Arkansas-Monticello and trailed 23-10 at halftime. The Bisons then shot 76.5 percent in the second half and outscored the Boll Weevils by 20 points to take a 57-50 victory. Zach Roddenberry led Harding with 22 points, and junior Weston Jameson scored a season-high 19 points.

Arkansas Tech has been on a roll of its own. The Wonder Boys have won seven of their last nine games, but both losses have been on the road.

Arkansas Tech has been especially tough on defense, limiting opponents to a GAC-low 39.0 percent shooting. The Wonder Boys are second in the conference in scoring defense, allowing only 63.7 points per game.

Arkansas Tech won its last outing 64-54 over Southern Arkansas on Saturday in Russellville. The Wonder Boys limited the Muleriders to only 31 percent from the field, and Southern Arkansas missed 25 of its 30 3-point attempts.

Harding has won only once in its last eight meetings with Arkansas Tech, but that victory came in the championship game of the 2011 Gulf South Conference Tournament in Southaven, Miss.