Harding Game Notes

Harding (12-12, 9-9) vs. Arkansas Tech (18-8, 13-5)

Location: Rhodes Field House

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Series: ATU leads 60-55

Coaches: Harding – Jeff Morgan (361-234, 21st season at HU; 378-244, 22nd season overall); Arkansas Tech - Doug Karleskint (86-32, 4th season at ATU)

Live Stats/Audio/Video: Available through a link on HardingSports.com - www.hardingsports.com/coverage.aspx

Radio: KVHU-95.3 FM (Billy Morgan and Scott Goode)

• Harding seniors Weston Jameson and Hayden Johnson will play their final games at the Rhodes Field House on Thursday as Harding hosts Arkansas Tech at 7:30 p.m.

• Harding enters the game 12-12 overall and 9-9 in the GAC. The Bisons are in fifth place in the GAC standings among tournament-eligible teams. Arkansas Tech is 18-8 overall and 13-5 in conference and is in second place, one-half game out of first.

• Harding is coming off a 72-70 loss to Arkansas-Monticello on Saturday in Searcy. Jacob Gibson scored 23 points and made four 3-pointers to lead Harding. Arkansas-Monticello outscored Harding 42-20 in the paint and got 20 points from Brandon Wilson.

• Arkansas Tech defeated Southeastern Oklahoma 73-55 on Monday in Russellville. Tech shot 49 percent and made 10 3-pointers. Marshawn Arnold came off the bench to lead the Wonder Boys with 20 points and seven rebounds.

• Two of the top five 3-point gunners will be action Thursday. Harding's Jacob Gibson is second in the GAC with 2.8 3-pointers made per game. He has connected on 66 3-pointers, only four behnd GAC leader Quan Connor (SNU). Tech's Tyler Friedel is fifth in the GAC with 2.6 3-pointers per game and 67 total.

Inside the Series:
•    Harding and Arkansas Tech are meeting for the 115th time with the Wonder Boys leading the series 60-55. Harding leads 35-19 in games played in Searcy including a 72-64 victory over Arkansas Tech last season at the Rhodes Field House. Harding has won two of the five GAC meetings between the teams.

•    Arkansas Tech won the first meeting of the season 63-62 in Russellville. Bobby Hatchett made two free throws with one second left to give the Wonder Boys the victory. Hatchett led Tech with 18 points and nine rebounds. Tech outscored Harding 11-5 at the free throw line.

•    Harding made 11 3-pointers in the first meeting. Jacob Gibson made 5-of-6 3-pointers and led Harding with 17 points. Weston Jameson had 13 points, and Hayden Johnson scored 10. Thirty of Harding's 54 field goal attempts were 3-pointers.

Additional Harding Notes:
•    Upcoming milestones: Hayden Johnson needs 10 3-pointers to become only the fifth Harding player with 150 career 3-pointers ... Johnson is 18th on HU's career scoring list (1,229 points) and needs 75 points to pass Tim Vick (1971-75, 1,304 points) for 17th ... Johnson needs one blocked shot to move past Zach Roddenberry into third in career blocks ... Weston Jameson needs 21 assists to move past Darren McCrillis (456, 2000-04) into fourth on Harding's career assist list ... Jacob Gibson needs 20 3-pointers to set Harding's single-season record.

•    Harding has made 243 3-point field goals this season, good for third on the Bisons' single-season list. Harding set the school record last season with 259 3-pointers made.

•    In its third season in the GAC, Harding is 15-10 vs. Oklahoma opponents and 15-14 vs. Arkansas opponents.

•    Harding senior Hayden Johnson has scored 1,035 points in the three seasons the Bisons have been members of the GAC. Johnson needs only seven points to pass Kori Forge (2011-13) and become the career scoring leader in the conference.

Opponent Notes:
•    Arkansas Tech is a charter member of the Great American Conference and is located in Russellville, Ark. Arkansas Tech was founded in 1910 as Second District Agricultural School.

•    The Wonder Boys are 17-8 overall and 13-5 in conference play. Arkansas Tech has won seven of its last eight games, but six of those games have been at home. Tech is 4-6 on the road, including 4-4 in conference road games.

•    Doug Karleskint, a 2003 graduate of MidAmerica Nazarene, is in his fourth season at Arkansas Tech. It is his first head coaching job at a four-year school.

•    Arkansas Tech leads the GAC in scoring defense at 67.3 points per game. The Wonder Boys have allowed fewer than 70 points 16 times this season and below 60 points six times.

•    Tech's Marshawn Arnold, a 6-3 junior forward from Arkadelphia, Ark., leads the GAC in field goal percentage at 66.7 percent. Senior center Charles Mells, of Miami, Fla., is second with 2.1 blocks per game.