#25 Harding (1-0) at #17 Northeastern State (2-0)

Location: NSU Event Center, Tahlequah, Okla.

Time: 8 p.m.

Series:  Tied 8-8

Coaches: Harding – Jeff Morgan (350-222, 21st season at HU; 367-232, 22nd season overall); Larry Gipson (266-188, 17th season at NSU; 549-348, 31st season overall)

Live Stats/Audio/Video: Available through a link on HardingSports.com courtesy GoRiverHawksGo.com

Radio: None

• It will be a battle of nationally-ranked teams when 25th-ranked Harding travels to 17th-ranked Northeastern State on Saturday in Tahlequah, Okla.

• The Bisons enter the season ranked No. 25 in the NABC Top 25 Poll. It is only the second time Harding has been ranked in the preseason poll--ranked 21st in the 2006-07 poll.

• Harding is coming off a 70-66 victory over Christian Brothers on Thursday in Searcy. It was the Bisons' 38th straight victory in home openers. Sophomore Andraz Kavas scored a career-high 20 points and added 10 rebounds in his first career start.

• Northeastern State is 2-0 after two large victories over non-NCAA opponents Ecclesia (102-65) and Hillsdale Baptist (101-61). The RiverHawks have shot 59 percent from the field in the first two games and have outscored opponents 57-28 at the free throw line.

• Harding coach Jeff Morgan, in his 22nd season as a Division II coach, ranks 44th among active D2 coaches with 367 victories.

• Harding had three players make their Bison debuts Thursday -- freshman Will Francis, senior Nick Mason, and sophomore Antoine Burrell.

• Harding and Northeastern State are meeting for the 17th time with the series tied 8-8 overall. The RiverHawks have won six of the seven meetings in Tahlequah, including the last five. Harding's only win was 93-85 in 1989. Harding won 65-63 last season in Searcy.

• Hayden Johnson scored a career-high 30 points on 10-of-12 shooting, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range to lead Harding to a 65-63 victory over Northeastern State on Nov. 29, 2012, the last meeting between the teams.

• Northeastern State was led by Ethan Anderson's 14 points and Jermaine Bransford's 12 points and eight rebounds. The RiverHawks led 32-29 at halftime but shot only 33 percent (11-of-33) in the second half.
 
• Harding was selected second in the GAC Preseason Coaches Poll. The Bisons were behind only Arkansas Tech in the poll.

• Harding's returning leaders: SCORING - Hayden Johnson (11.3 ppg), REBOUNDING - Hayden Johnson (4.5 rpg), ASSISTS - Weston Jameson (3.9 apg), STEALS - Weston Jameson (20), BLOCKS - Hayden Johnson (26), 3-POINT FIELD GOALS - Tony Cochran (67).

• Harding is 15-27 (.357) against nationally-ranked teams since joining the NCAA in 1997. The Bisons are 8-12 (.400) on the road with their last road win coming at No. 2 Alabama-Huntsville 65-63 on Nov. 28, 2011. HU last played a ranked Northeastern State team in 1999-00. The Bisons lost 70-59 in Searcy when the then-Redmen were ranked 25th and 91-53 in Tahlequah when they were ranked 17th.

• Northeastern State is a member of the NCAA Division II Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) and is located in Tahlequah, Okla.

• Northeastern State is coached by Larry Gipson, who is in his 17th season as head coach of the RiverHawks and his 22nd season as a collegiate head coach. Gipson, a 1974 graduate of Heidelberg, coached five seasons at Toledo with a 68-73 record from 1991-96 before moving to Northeastern State for the 1997-98 season. He entered the 2013-14 season ranked 52nd in victories among active Division II coaches. He was the NABC Division II Coach of the Year in 2003.

• Northeastern State, ranked 17th in Division II, enters the game 2-0 with huge wins over Ecclesia (102-65) and Hillsdale Baptist (101-61). Saturday's game is the third of four straight home games for the RiverHawks to open the season.

• Senior Bryton Hobbs leads the RiverHawks in scoring at 24.0 points per game. He has shot 71 percent (12-of-17) from the field, 63 percent (5-of-8) from 3-point range, and 95 percent (19-of-20) from the free throw line.

• Northeastern State was selected to finish fourth in the MIAA preseason poll. The RiverHawks trailed Fort Hays State, Northwest Missouri, and Central Missouri.

• Northeastern State finished 19-9 last season and reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Central Regional in Mankato, Minn. The Bucs won the Gulf South Conference Tournament. The RiverHawks finished 12-6 in MIAA play and lost to Northwest Missouri in their first game of the MIAA Tournament.