Game Notes
No. 6 Harding (20-1, 12-1 GAC) vs. Southwestern Oklahoma (12-7, 9-4 GAC)
Location: Searcy
When: Saturday
Time: 2 p.m.
Coaches:
Harding – Tim Kirby (161-88, 9th season)
Southwestern Oklahoma – Kelsi Musick (5th season)
Live Stats/Live Video – Available on a link at HardingSports.com
Harding
- Harding heads into the game with a 20-1 overall record and a 12-1 GAC record. It is only the seventh time in school history Harding has won 20 games. The last time was during the 2008-09 season when Harding went 20-10. The most wins in a season came in 1996-97 when Harding went 26-4.
- The Lady Bisons are playing their third of a three game home stand on Saturday.
- Harding will be looking to extend their home winning streak to 14 games on Thursday. Harding has won 13 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 73-52 win over Northwestern Oklahoma on Thursday. Harding was led by junior guard Shana Holmes who hit four of the Lady Bisons' 10 3-pointers and finished with a team-high 14 points. Senior guard Deshelle Isaac-Boyce came off the bench and scored 11 of her 13 points in the first half. Junior forward Arielle Saunders grabbed 10 of Harding's 42 rebounds. It was the ninth time this season she has had 10 or more rebounds. Saunders also had six assists, four steals and three blocks.
- Kristen Celsor is leading Harding in scoring, averaging 17.3 points which ranks fifth in the GAC. Celsor is averaging 18.9 points in GAC action which ranks second.
- Shana Holmes and Kristen Celsor both need five 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 (112).
- Kristen Celsor needs two 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 698.
- Arielle Saunders needs eight field goals to get to 300 in her career. Kristen Celsor is the only active Lady Bison with 300 or more. Celsor currently has 511 made field goals which ranks seventh all time at Harding.
- Harding ranks first in the GAC in assists, averaging 17.8 per game. A'ndrea Haney ranks first in the GAC, averaging 3.9 per game. Arielle Saunders ranks fifth averaging 3.1.
- Tabitha Haney ranks first in the GAC in 3-point field goal percentage shooting 45.6 percent. Kristen Celsor ranks fourth shooting 43.1 percent.
- Harding ranks first in the GAC in scoring defense (58.8), scoring margin (+20.5), field goal percentage (45.1), 3-point field goal percentage (39.2), assists (17.8), turnover margin (+5.29) 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.
Southwestern Oklahoma
- Southwestern Oklahoma is located in Weatherford, Okla., and has an enrollment of 4,297.
- The Lady Bulldogs head into the game with a 12-7 overall record and a 9-4 GAC record. Southwestern Oklahoma is currently tied with Southeastern Oklahoma for second place in the GAC standings.
- Southwestern Oklahoma is coming off a 78-54 loss at Arkansas Tech on Thursday. Senior guard Taryn Sayama led the Lady Bulldogs with 15 points. Before Thursday, Southwestern Oklahoma won six straight.
- The Lady Bulldogs are led by senior guard Michelle Fisher who averages 16.7 points which ranks sixth in the GAC. Senior Twins Taryn and Sarina Sayama, both average over 11 points. Taryn averages 12.1 points and Sarina averages 11.8 points.
- Southwestern Oklahoma ranks first in the GAC in scoring offense averaging 83.7 points per game. They rank last in the GAC in scoring defense. The Lady Bulldogs also rank first in 3-point field goals made averaging 9.1 per game.
- Sophomore forward Jessica Penner ranks first in the GAC in field goal percentage shooting 64.8 percent.
Series
- Southwestern Oklahoma leads the series 8-6
- Harding won the meeting in Searcy last season 69-61. Shana Holmes led Harding with 19 points. Kristen Celsor had 18 points and 11 rebounds and Arielle Saunders had 15 points and 13 rebounds. Both teams took over 70 shots in the game. Harding was 29-of-71 (40.8 percent) and Southwestern Oklahoma was 23-of-73 (31.5 percent). The Lady Bulldogs shot 29 3-pointers in the game, making nine. Harding had nine steals and nine blocks in the game.
- Earlier this season in Weatherford, Okla., Harding won 95-69. Kristen Celsor had 31 points, hitting 14-of-20 from the field, including three 3-pointers. Harding had a season-high 57 rebounds in the game which was led by Arielle Saunders who had 15 and Deshelle Isaac-Boyce had 10. Taryn Sayama led Southwestern Oklahoma with 23 points, hitting 10-of-18 from the field. Michelle Fisher hit four 3-pointers and finished with 19 points. Harding shot 46.2 percent from the field and from behind the 3-point line. The Lady Bisons made 12 3-pointers. Harding scored 42 points in the paint and had 37 bench points.
