SEARCY – The Harding women's basketball team will face Southeastern Oklahoma State at 12 p.m., on Thursday in the first round of the Great American Conference Tournament in Bartlesville, Okla. The two teams split with each winning at home during the regular season.
It's the seventh straight season the Lady Bisons have made their conference tournament. Harding will be the No. 3 seed as they finished the GAC season with a 14-6 record and Southeastern Oklahoma State will be the No. 6 seed with an 8-12 GAC record. The Lady Bisons have a 1-2 record when they are third seed in the conference tournament. HU was the third seed in the 2008 and 2010 Gulf South Conference Tournament.
In the eight seasons at the helm of the Lady Bisons, Head Coach Tim Kirby has led his teams to the conference tournament every year except his first in 2005-06.
The game on Thursday will be the Lady Bisons first neutral site game this season. Last season at the GAC Tournament, Harding met Southeastern Oklahoma State in the semifinals. HU won 62-54 to advance to the finals where they lost to Southwestern Oklahoma State 69-58.
Harding has won their first game in their conference tournament the last four seasons. The Lady Bisons fell in the first round of 2008 GSC Tournament against Valdosta State, 65-58.
In the two games against SOSU, the Lady Bisons were led by sophomore guard Shana Holmes who averaged 18.0 points. Sophomore guard Montana Lewis averaged a double-double with 15.0 points and 10.0 rebounds. As a team, Harding averaged 71.5 points. The Lady Bisons also averaged 11.5 more rebounds than SOSU and had 4.5 blocks.
Harding fell at Southeastern Oklahoma State on Dec. 8th, 72-60. Senior guard Bailey Welch led the Savage Storm with 14 points, making 10-of-10 from the free throw line.
On March 2nd in Searcy, Harding won 83-69. The Lady Bisons shot 46.2 percent from the field (30-of-65) and was 7-of-30 from behind the 3-point line. Harding had seven blocks in the game led by junior forward Kristen Celsor had a career-high five blocks.HU had five players finish in double-figure scoring for the second time this season. Sophomore guard Cheree Kiser led the Savage Storm with 15 points and junior guard Natalie Ruud hit four 3-pointers and had 14 points. Welch made 9-of-10 free throws and finished with 14 points for SOSU.
HU (18-8) is led on the season by Kristen Ceslor who averages 14.8 points, which ranks seventh in the GAC. Shana Holmes averages 12.8 points and Arielle Saunders averages 10.5 points.
Kristen Celsor leads Harding on the boards averaging 8.2 rebounds a game, which ranks fourth in the GAC. Sophomore forward Arielle Saunders ranks fifth in the GAC, averaging 7.8 rebounds and sophomore guard Montana Lewis ranks tenth in the GAC (7.0 rpg).
The Lady Bisons rank first in the GAC in scoring defense as they only allow their opponents to score 59.5 points per game.
Kristen Celsor needs four points to get to 1,000 in her career. Celsor has scored 996 points and is averaging 12.0 points per game in her career. She would be the 13th player in Harding history to reach the milestone. Angie Dugger (1993-97) is HU's all-time scoring leader with 2,369 points.
Southeastern Oklahoma State heads into the tournament with a 10-16 overall record. The Savage Storm has lost their last four games. Their last win came against Northwestern Oklahoma State 76-64 on Feb. 14, in Durant.
The Savage Storm rank first in the GAC in free throw percentage (74.7) and rank second in scoring offense (73.2).
Southeastern is led on the season by Bailey Welch who averages 13.1 points. Sophomore forward Haley Schaefer averages 10.3 points and leads SOSU on the boards, averaging 6.3 rebounds.
Cheree Kiser ranks third in the GAC in field goal percentage (54.2). Bailey Welch ranks second in the GAC in assists (4.5), ranks second in free throw percentage (89.8) and ranks first in assist/turnover ratio (1.9).
Check Hardingsports.com for links to the live audio, live video and live stats.
