Game Notes
No. 2 Harding (27-1) vs. Ouachita Baptist (9-17)
Location: Bartlesville, Okla.
When: Friday
Time: 5:45 p.m.
Coaches:
Harding – Tim Kirby (168-88, 9th season)
Ouachita Baptist – Garry Crowder (282-214, 18th season)
Live Stats/Live Video – Available on a link at HardingSports.com
Harding
- Harding heads into the game with a 27-1 overall record and will be the No. 1 seed in the tournament after going 19-1 in conference games.
- It's the first time the Lady Bisons have been the No. 1 seed in the tournament. Harding has made the GAC tournament all three years of the conference's existence. The Lady Bisons have gone 3-2 in the tournament. Harding was the third seed last year and the fourth seed in 2012.
- It will be the first time Harding has faced Ouachita Baptist in a conference tournament. It will also be the first time the two teams have met on a neutral floor.
- The Lady Bisons broke the school record for the most wins in a season last Saturday at Southeastern Oklahoma.
- The Lady Bisons climbed to No. 2 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 ninth straight week Harding has been ranked in the top 10 and the third straight week ranked in the top five. It was the 14th straight week Harding has been ranked.
- Harding captured the GAC regular season title on Feb. 20 in the 67-39 win over Southern Arkansas. It is the first regular season conference title in Harding women's basketball history.
- Harding jumped to No. 1 in the NCAA Division II Central Region in the latest regional rankings released on Wednesday. It is the first week Harding has been No. 1. The Lady Bisons were in the second spot in the rankings in the first two poll.
- Harding is coming off a 77-64 win at Southeastern Oklahoma last Saturday. Five different players scored in double figures in the game. Senior guard Deshelle Isaac-Boyce came off the bench and led the Lady Bisons with 14. Junior guard Montana Lewis had 13. Juniors Shana Holmes and Arielle Saunders each had 12 points and senior forward Kristen Celsor had 11. Saunders also had a season-high 16 rebounds.
- Harding won 19 conference games this season which set a new GAC record. The previous record of 17 was set by Arkansas Tech last season.
- Kristen Celsor is leading Harding in scoring, averaging 17.6 points which ranks fourth in the GAC. Celsor is averaging 18.9 points in GAC action which ranks third.
- Harding ranks first in the GAC in assists, averaging 17.7 per game. A'ndrea Haney ranks first in the GAC, averaging four per game. Arielle Saunders ranks fourth averaging 3.2.
- Tabitha Haney ranks third in the GAC in 3-point field goal percentage shooting 42.6 percent. Kristen Celsor ranks fifth, shooting 40 percent.
- Montana Lewis is two rebounds away from 500 in her career. Kristen Celsor and Arielle Saunders are the only two active players to have over 500.
- Deshelle Isaac-Boyce needs two 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 (59.2), scoring margin (+19.6), field goal percentage (44.6), field goal percentage defense (36.9), 3-point field goal percentage (37.5), 3-point field goal pct. Defense (28.1), assists (17.7), turnover margin (+5.39) and assist/turnover ratio (1.4).
- Four Harding players earned post season awards on Wednesday. Kristen Celsor was named first team All-GAC and also GAC Player of the Year. Celsor is the first Harding women's basketball player to win the award. Shana Holmes and Arielle Saunders were both named second team All-GAC and freshman A'ndrea Haney was named honorable mention All-GAC and named GAC Freshman of the Year. Haney is the fourth Harding player to win the award. Celsor won it in 2011-12, junior guard Montana Lewis won the award in 2011-12 and Catherine McMenamy (2005-09) won it in 2005-06. Harding head coach Tim Kirby was also named GAC coach of the Year. It's also the first time a Harding coach has won the award.
- Celsor needs one more 30-point performance to break the Harding record for the most 30-point games in a season. Celsor currently has five and is tied with Kymm Alexander (1990-94) and Angie Dugger (1993-97) for the most in a season. Alexander holds the record for the most in a career with 11. Dugger is second with ten. Celsor has six.
Ouachita Baptist
- Ouachita Baptist is located in Arkadelphia, Ark., and has an enrollment of 1,532.
- Ouachita Baptist heads into the game with a 9-17 overall record and will be the No. 8 seed after going 7-13 in GAC games.
- Ouachita Baptist is 0-1 at neutral site games this season.
- The Lady Tigers have won three out of their last four games. Their loss came at Arkansas-Monticello (75-64) in the last game of the regular season.
- Senior guard Nashia James leads Ouachita Baptist on the season averaging 14.9 points and 5.9 rebounds. Breanna Harris is the other player that averages in double figures, averaging 10 points per game.
- Nashia James ranks 10th in the GAC in scoring (14.9 ppg) and second in steals (2.2 spg).
Series
- Harding leads the series 36-27
- Harding won the meeting in Searcy this season 72-65. A'ndrea Haney led Harding with 17 points, making 11-of-12 free throws. Arielle Saunders had 12 points and Kristen Celsor has 10 points and nine rebounds. Erica Sharp led Ouachita Baptist with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Harding forced 19 Lady Tiger turnovers in the game. Both teams shot under 40 percent from the field in the game. Ouachita Baptist shot 39.3 percent and Harding shot 37.9 percent.
- 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.
