Game Notes
No. 6 Harding (19-1, 11-1 GAC) vs. Northwestern Oklahoma (5-13, 5-7 GAC)
Location: Searcy
When: Thursday
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Coaches:
Harding – Tim Kirby (160-88, 9th season)
Northwestern Oklahoma – Eric Bozeman (11-33, 2nd season)
Live Stats/Live Video – Available on a link at HardingSports.com
Harding
- Harding heads into the game with a 19-1 overall record and an 11-1 GAC record. It's only the second time in school history a Harding team has had a record of 19-1. The 1996-97 team went 25-1 before losing their second game. That team finished the season with a 26-4 record.
- Harding will be hosting its fourth annual pink game on Thursday. Pink "We Are Harding" shirts are on sale for $10 in the student center from 8 a.m.-1:00 p.m. on Wed, and Thurs. of this week. T-shirts will also be sold at the games on Thursday. All proceeds will go to the WBCA's Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
- The Lady Bisons are playing their second of a three game home stand on Thursday.
- Harding will be looking to extend their home winning streak to 13 games on Thursday. Harding has won 12 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 jumped back up to 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 fifth straight week Harding has been ranked in the top 10.It was the tenth straight week Harding has been ranked.
- Harding is coming off a 94-57 win over Southern Nazarene last Thursday. The Lady Bisons had a bye on Saturday. The Lady Bisons were led by junior guard Montana Lewis who had 13 points. Junior forward Arielle Saunders had 11 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Seniors Kristen Celsor and Lauren Crenshaw both had 10 points in only 15 minutes of action. Harding held the Crimson Storm to shooting on 29.9 percent from the field with only 20 made field goals.
- Kristen Celsor is leading Harding in scoring, averaging 17.7 points which ranks third in the GAC. Celsor is averaging 19.8 points in GAC action which ranks second.
- Kristen Celsor needs six 3-pointers to get to 100 in her career. Junior guard Tabitha Haney is the only active Harding player that has made over 100 career 3-pointers (110). Shana Holmes needs nine to get to 100.
- Kristen Celsor needs seven rebounds to get to 700 in her career. She would be the only active player to have 700 career rebounds. Celsor is currently ranked eighth at Harding in career rebounds with 693.
- Arielle Saunders needs 10 field goals to get to 300 in her career. Kristen Celsor is the only active Lady Bison with 300 or more. Celsor currently has 508 made field goals which ranks seventh all time at Harding.
- Harding ranks first in the GAC in scoring defense (59.2), scoring margin (+20.5), field goal percentage (45.4), 3-point field goal percentage (39.3), assists (17.6), 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.
Northwestern Oklahoma
- Northwestern Oklahoma is located in Alva, Okla., and has an enrollment of 2,135.
- The Rangers head into the game with a 5-13 overall record and a 5-7 GAC record.
- Northwestern Oklahoma has only lost two of its last seven games. The Rangers are coming off a 69-62 loss against Southern Arkansas on Saturday. Freshman guard Janae Isaac led Northwestern with 14 points.
- The Rangers are led on the season by freshman center Kamera Bozeman who is the niece of head coach Eric Bozeman. She averages 10.6 points and 4.4 rebounds. Bozeman is averaging 12.6 points in GAC games this season.
- Kamera Bozeman ranks second in the GAC in field goal percentage, shooting 61.3 percent from the field.
Series
- Harding leads the series 3-0.
- Harding won the only meeting in Searcy 60-46 last season. Montana Lewis led Harding in the game with 11 points. Arielle Saunders had 10 points and nine rebounds. Kristen Celsor grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds in the game.
- Earlier this season in Alva, Harding won 76-75. Tabitha Haney hit a free throw with 16 seconds left to put Harding up by three. Northwestern Oklahoma missed its 3-point attempt to tie the game. Kamera Bozeman rebounded the ball and made a layup as time expired. Junior guard Montana Lewis led Harding with 20 points hitting 7-of-9 from the field and two 3-pointers. Senior forward Kristen Celsor scored 16 and freshman guard A'ndrea Haney scored 12 points also making two 3-pointers. Haney also had eight assists. Both teams made 10 3-pointers in the game.
