Game Notes
No. 6 Harding (22-1, 14-1 GAC) vs. Ouachita Baptist (6-15, 4-11 GAC)
Location: Searcy
When: Saturday
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Coaches:
Harding – Tim Kirby (163-88, 9th season)
Ouachita Baptist – Garry Crowder (279-212, 18th season)
Live Stats/Live Video – Available on a link at HardingSports.com
Harding
- Harding heads into the game with a 22-1 overall record and a 14-1 GAC record. It is only the fourth time in school history Harding has won 22 games. The last time Harding won 22 games in a season was in 1996-97 when the Lady Bisons won a school-record 26 games.
- Harding will be looking to extend its home winning streak to 15 games on Saturday. Harding has won 14 straight dating back to last season. It's the second longest winning streak at home in school history. Harding won 16 straight from 95-96.
- 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 a 91-74 win at Henderson State on Thursday. After leading 38-32 at halftime, Harding went on a 23-3 run to open the second half, led by Holmes who hit four 3-pointers. The Lady Bisons held Henderson State scoreless for the first three and a half minutes of the second half. Junior guard Shana Holmes, junior forward Arielle Saunders and senior forward Kristen Celsor combined for 56 of Harding's 91 points. Holmes had 19 points, Saunders captured her third straight double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds and Celsor hit 8-of-13 field goals and had two 3-pointers to finish with 18 points.
- Kristen Celsor is leading Harding in scoring, averaging 17.7 points which ranks third in the GAC. Celsor is averaging 19.4 points in GAC action which ranks second.
- Kristen Celsor needs two 3-pointers to get to 100 in their career. She would join junior guards Tabitha Haney (114) and Shana Holmes (101) as the only active Harding players that have made over 100 career 3-pointers.
- Arielle Saunders needs four more assists to get to 200 in her career. She is the only active player that has 196 or more assists in her career.
- Harding ranks first in the GAC in assists, averaging 17.9 per game. A'ndrea Haney ranks first in the GAC, averaging 4.0 per game. Arielle Saunders ranks fourth averaging 3.4. Both had seven against Henderson State on Thursday.
- Tabitha Haney ranks first in the GAC in 3-point field goal percentage shooting 45.2 percent. Kristen Celsor ranks third, shooting 42.5 percent. Shana Holmes ranks sixth in the GAC in 3-pointers made, averaging 2.1 per game.
- The Lady Bisons need 18 more 3-pointers to break the Harding single season record. The Lady Bisons currently have 198 and the Harding record is 216. It was done twice, first in 2006-07 and then in 2007-08.
- Deshelle Isaac-Boyce needs nine rebounds to get to 200 in her career. She would join three other active players (Kristen Celsor, Montana Lewis and Arielle Saunders) with 200 or more rebounds.
- Harding ranks first in the GAC in scoring defense (60.1), scoring margin (+20.1), field goal percentage (45.0), field goal percentage defense (37.0), 3-point field goal percentage (39.0), assists (17.9), turnover margin (+5.39) 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.
Ouachita Baptist
- Ouachita Baptist is located in Arkadelphia, Ark., and has an enrollment of 1,532.
- Ouachita Baptist heads into the game with 6-15 overall record and a 4-11 GAC record. The Tigers are currently in 10th place in the GAC standings.
- Ouachita Baptist is 2-8 on the road this season and is 2-6 in conference.
- The Tigers have won two of their last four games. Ouachita Baptist is coming off a 71-55 loss at Arkansas Tech on Thursday. Sophomore guard Breanna Harris led the Tigers with 14 points.
- Senior guard Nashia James leads Ouachita Baptist on the season averaging 14.4 points and 5.5 rebounds. She is the only Tiger to average in double figures.
- Nashia James ranks second in the GAC in steals, averaging 2.4 per game.
Series
- Harding leads the series 35-27
- Harding won the meeting in Searcy last season 66-58. Shana Holmes led HU with 16 points, making 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Arielle Saunders captured a double-double with 14 points and a season-high 14 rebounds. Senior guard Deshelle Isaac-Boyce came off the bench and scored 12 points.
- Earlier this season in Arkadelphia, Harding won 82-54. Harding came out of the gate running, as junior guard Shana Holmes scored the Lady Bisons first eight points and finished with 17 points to lead Harding. The Lady Bisons forced Ouachita Baptist to turn the ball over 21 times on 12 steals. The Lady Bisons turned them into 19 points, 15 in the first half. Ouachita Baptist was led by Nashia James who captured a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Harding outrebounded Ouachita Baptist 41-36. The Lady Bisons grabbed 30 defensive rebounds. Junior forward Arielle Saunders and freshman guard A'ndrea Haney both led Harding with nine rebounds. Harding made 20-of-23 free throws, shooting a season-high 87 percent from the free throw line.
