Game Notes
No. 6 Harding (21-1, 13-1 GAC) vs. Henderson State (12-8, 7-7 GAC)
Location: Searcy
When: Thursday
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Coaches:
Harding – Tim Kirby (162-88, 9th season)
Henderson State – Jill Thomas (1st season)
Live Stats/Live Video – Available on a link at HardingSports.com
Harding
- Harding heads into the game with a 21-1 overall record and a 13-1 GAC record. It is only the fifth time in school history Harding has won 21 games. The last time Harding won 21 games in a season was in 1996-97 when the Lady Bisons won a school-record 26 games.
- Harding has three road games left during the regular season. The Lady Bisons suffered a 61-60 overtime loss at East Central in their last road game on Jan. 25.
- The Lady Bisons stayed at No. 6 in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches' Poll released on Tuesday. The Lady Bisons are the highest ranked team in the Central Region. It's the sixth straight week Harding has been ranked in the top 10. It was the 11th straight week Harding has been ranked.
- Harding is coming off an 89-74 home win over Southwestern Oklahoma last Saturday. Kristen Celsor led Harding with 25 points and a season-high 13 rebounds. It was Celsor's eighth double-double of the season and the 15th in her career. Junior forward Arielle Saunders had 14 points and tied a season high with 15 rebounds. It was the fifth time this season she has had 15 rebounds. Harding had 56 rebounds in the game, tying for eighth in a Harding single game. The Lady Bisons had 21 offensive rebounds, led by Saunders who tied a season-high with seven. Southwestern Oklahoma had only 36 rebounds.
- Kristen Celsor is leading Harding in scoring, averaging 17.6 points which ranks second in the GAC. Celsor is averaging 19.4 points in GAC action which ranks second.
- Shana Holmes and Kristen Celsor both need four 3-pointers to get to 100 in their career. Junior guard Tabitha Haney is the only active Harding player that has made over 100 career 3-pointers (114).
- Arielle Saunders needs two field goals to get to 300 in her career. Kristen Celsor is the only active Lady Bison with 300 or more. Celsor currently has 520 which ranks seventh all time at Harding.
- Arielle Saunders needs 11 more assists to get to 200 in her career. She is the only active player that has 189 or more assists in her career. Saunders needs one more assist to break her personal single season mark of 71.
- Harding ranks first in the GAC in assists, averaging 17.9 per game. A'ndrea Haney ranks first in the GAC, averaging 3.8 per game. Arielle Saunders ranks fourth averaging 3.2.
- Tabitha Haney ranks first in the GAC in 3-point field goal percentage shooting 45.8 percent. Kristen Celsor ranks fifth shooting 42.0 percent.
- Harding ranks first in the GAC in scoring defense (59.5), scoring margin (+20.3), field goal percentage (44.8), field goal percentage defense (36.6), 3-point field goal percentage (38.8), assists (17.9), turnover margin (+5.00) 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.
Henderson State
- Henderson State is located in Arkadelphia, Ark., and has an enrollment of 3,363.
- Henderson State heads into the game with a 12-8 overall record and a 7-7 GAC record. The Lady Reddies have lost their last three games including two at home to East Central (62-52) and Southeastern Oklahoma (74-66).
- Henderson State is 8-2 at home this season and 5-2 in the GAC.
- Henderson State is coming off a 95-87 loss at Southern Nazarene last Thursday. Junior guard Aungelique Sledge scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds. It was the 14th time Sledge has led he Lady Reddies in scoring this season and the fourth time she has lead in both scoring and rebounding.
- Aungelique Sledge is averaging a GAC leading 21.1 points per game. She also ranks first in the GAC games, averaging 21.6 points.
- Sophomore guard Dulincia Keener ranks third in the GAC in rebounding, averaging 8.1 per game.
- Sledge also ranks first in the GAC in steals and 3-point field goals. She averages 3.1 steals and 3.3 made 3-pointers per game. She also leads the GAC in minutes played as she is on the court 34.7 minutes per game.
Series
- Harding leads the series 24-23.
- Harding won the meeting in Arkadelphia last season 57-56. Arielle Saunders made two free throws with 14 seconds left to put the Lady Bisons on top. Henderson State missed its last second jumper to give Harding the win. Saunders led the Lady Bisons with 18 points, making 10-of-10 free throws. Kristen Celsor added 12 for Harding. Krystal Beachum led Henderson State with 27 points, making 11-of-20 from the field.
- Earlier this season in Searcy, Harding won 92-75 behind Kristen Celsor's career-high 36 points. She also had 12 rebounds. Arielle Saunders had 16 points and had 15 rebounds. Montana Lewis had 14 points. Both teams shot over 45 percent from the field as Harding shot 47.7 and Henderson State shot 46.6 percent. The Lady Bisons forced 19 Lady Reddie turnovers in the game and outrebounded Henderson state 44-33. Harding led by as much as 25 in the game. The Lady Reddies were led by Aungelique Sledge who had 18 points.
