Game Notes
No. 6 Harding (16-0, 8-0 GAC) at Arkansas-Monticello (5-8, 1-6 GAC)
Location: Monticello, Ark.
When: Saturday
Time: 2 p.m.
Coaches:
Harding – Tim Kirby (157-87, 9th season)
Arkansas-Monticello – Tanya Ray (3rd season)
Live Stats/Live Video – Available on a link at HardingSports.com
Harding
- Harding heads into the game with a 16-0 overall record and will be looking to continue its best start in program history on Thursday. The previous record was held by the 1996-97 team as they opened the season 13-0.
- The Lady Bisons moved up two more spots in the latest coaches' poll as they moved from eighth to sixth. It's the highest Harding has been ranked in the WBCA poll. The Lady Bisons are one of only six teams in the top 25 that is still undefeated, as all six are in the top 6 in the poll.
- Harding is coming off a 70-59 GAC win against Southern Arkansas on Thursday. Kristen Celsor led Harding with 18 points and 11 rebounds. She also had a season-high four blocks which put her over 100 career blocks. Junior guard Montana Lewis had 14 points, 10 in the second half.
- Kristen Celsor is leading Harding in scoring, averaging 18.5 points which ranks second in the GAC. Celsor is averaging 22.4 points in GAC action which ranks second.
- Junior forward Arielle Saunders needs three points to get to her 700th career point. Celsor is the only other active player that has scored over 700 points (1323 points).
- Harding is outscoring its GAC opponents by 19.1 points which ranks first. It is 12.8 more points than Southeastern Oklahoma who is in second place.
- Freshman guard A'ndrea Haney ranks first in the GAC in assists in conference games averaging 4.1 per game. She has had over five assists in a game seven times this season. As a team, Harding ranks first in the GAC in assists, averaging 17.8 per game.
- In GAC games this season Kristen Celsor is shooting 53.3 percent from behind the 3-point line which ranks first in the GAC. As a team, Harding ranks first in conference games, shooting 40.5 percent.
- Harding is averaging 41.5 rebounds per game (second in the GAC) which is 6.6 more than its opponents. Arielle Saunders leads the Lady Bisons on the boards, averaging 10.1 per game which ranks second in the GAC. Saunders has grabbed 15 rebounds in a game, four times and needs four rebounds to get to 600 in her career. She also needs one offensive rebound to get to 200 in her career.
- Junior guard Tabitha Haney is the only active Harding player that has hit over 100 career 3-pointers. Haney has hit 106 career 3-pointers. Other Harding players that are close to the mark are Celsor who has made 92 and Shana Holmes who has made 85.
- Harding ranks first in the GAC in scoring defense (59.3), scoring margin (+20.6), field goal percentage (44.7), 3-point field goal percentage (38.4), assists (17.8), turnover margin (+5.25) and assist/turnover ratio (1.4).
- Celsor needs one more 30-point performance to tie the Harding record for the most 30-point games in a season. Celsor currently has four this season and five in her career. Kymm Alexander (1990-94) and Angie Dugger (1993-97) hold the record for the most in a season with five. Alexander also holds the record for the most in a career with 11. Dugger is second with ten.
Arkansas-Monticello
- Arkansas-Monticello is located in Monticello, Ark., and has an enrollment of 3,483.
- Arkansas-Monticello heads into the game with a 5-8 overall record and a 1-6 GAC record.
- The Cotton Blossoms have lost their last four games. Arkansas-Monticello is coming off a 78-62 loss at Arkansas Tech on Thursday. Sophomore forward Jordan Goforth led the Cotton Blossoms with 14 points.
- It will be the first time Arkansas-Monticello has played a ranked team this season.
- The Cotton Blossoms are 5-4 at home this season but are 1-3 in GAC games.
- Arkansas-Monticello is led by Jordan Goforth who averages 17.5 points per game which ranks fourth. Sophomore guard Tamia Grady ranks seventh in the GAC in scoring averaging 16.0 points.
Series
- Arkansas-Monticello leads the series 30-26.
- The Lady Bisons have won the last two meetings.
- Arkansas-Monticello holds the series record in Monticello 17-11.
- Last season in Monticello, Harding won 74-63. Arielle Saunders led Harding with a career-high 20 points. She also had 12 rebounds. Kristen Celsor made four 3-pointers and finished with 18 points. Senior guard Lauren Crenshaw made three 3-pointers and had 13 points.
