HU Men's Basketball Seeks Sixth Straight Home Win Saturday

Harding Game Notes

Harding (6-8, 4-4) vs. Southern Nazarene (8-7, 4-5)
Jan. 17, 2015 • Rhodes Field House • Searcy, Ark. • 3 p.m.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Radio: KVHU 95.3-FM
Internet:
   Audio: www.HardingSports.com
   Video: www.HardingSports.com
Live Stats: www.HardingSports.com

THE COACHES
Jeff Morgan, Harding
   at Harding: 370-245 (21st season)
   Career: 387-255 (22nd season)
   vs. Southern Nazarene: 3-1
Adam Bohac, Southern Nazarene
   at SNU: 137-72 (7th season)
   Career: same

THE SERIES
Series Record: SNU leads 3-1
in Searcy: HU leads 2-0
First Meeting: HU 80-67 (12/1/2012)
Last Meeting: HU 74-66 (1/30/2014)
Current Streak: HU, 1 game

Harding plays the second of four straight home games Saturday, hosting Southern Nazarene at 3 p.m. at the Rhodes Field House. The Bisons are 6-1 at home this season.

Harding enters the game with a 6-8 overall record and 4-4 GAC mark. The Bisons are in a three-way tie for fourth in the 11-team conference and are coming off an 87-80 home win over East Central on Thursday. Andraz Kavas led Harding with 21 points, Blake McNair scored 19, and Will Francis had 18 points and seven assists.

Southern Nazarene is 8-7 overall and 4-5 in the GAC. The Crimson Storm is tied for seventh in the conference and is coming off a 75-58 road loss to Ouachita Baptist on Thursday. Southern Nazarene trailed by 19 at halftime and shot only 38 percent in the loss.

Saturday's game is a matchup of the top two 3-point shooting teams in the GAC. Harding leads with 10.2 3-pointers per game, and Southern Nazarene is second with 8.3 per game.

Harding is 4-0 in home conference games this season and has compiled a 25-7 conference record at the Rhodes Field House in three-plus seasons as a member of the GAC.

Harding Team Notes:
Harding junior Andraz Kavas ranks second in the GAC with 18.8 points per game and and is eighth in the conference with 6.8 rebounds per game. He has made 70 free throws, third in the GAC.

Kavas has scored in double figures 12 times this season, including the last seven straight. He has scored 20 or more points five times this season and scored a career-high 33 points vs. Eastern New Mexico. Kavas has led Harding in scoring in seven games, including the last three.

Harding leads the GAC and ranks 12th in NCAA II with 10.2 3-pointers per game. The Bisons have made 10 or more 3-pointers nine times, including a school-record 21 3-pointers vs. Northwestern Oklahoma in Harding's last home game.

Harding also leads the GAC in both assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4) and assists per game (17.4). HU has had fewer than 10 turnovers six times.

Series Notes:
Harding and Southern Nazarene are meeting for the fifth time with the Bisons leading the series 3-1. The teams are meeting for the third time in Searcy, with Harding winning both games. The Bisons won 80-67 in Searcy on Dec. 1, 2012 and 74-66 on Jan. 30, 2014.

The teams split two meetings last season, both winning at home. Southern Nazarene won 87-76 in Bethany, and Harding won 74-66 in Searcy.

Jacob Gibson averaged 16.0 points vs. Southern Nazarene last season, connecting on 6-of-10 3-pointers.

Series Individual Records, Harding vs. Southern Nazarene:
   Points - 33, Hayden Johnson (11/23/2013)
   Rebounds - 9, Bradley Spencer (12/1/2012)
   Assists - 8, Weston Jameson (11/23/2013)

Opponent Notes:
Southern Nazarene is 8-7 overall and 4-5 in GAC games. The Crimson Storm is 4-2 on the road, including 3-2 in conference games. Southern Nazarene has lost three of its last four overall. The Crimson Storm opened the season 5-0, but are 3-7 in the next 10 games.

Southern Nazarene ranks second in the GAC with 8.3 3-pointers per game. The Crimson Storm has made 10 3-pointers six times and hit a season-high 13 3-pointers vs. Central Christian.

Sophomore LB Willis, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound guard from Dallas, leads the GAC in both assists per game (4.6) and steals per game (2.5). Willis is also the team's top scorer at 14.1 points per game.

Junior Garrett Butler, a 6-foot, 180-pound guard from Burlington, Oklahoma, is one of the top 3-point shooters in the GAC. He ranks eighth in the conference with 2.5 3-pointers per game and 10th in 3-point field goal percentage (41.1).

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Players Mentioned

#14 Weston Jameson: G; 6' 0"; Senior

#21 Hayden Johnson: F; 6' 6"; Senior

#21 Will Francis: G; 6' 5"; Sophomore

#44 Andraz Kavas: F; 6' 10"; Junior

#23 Blake McNair: G; 6' 4"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#14 Weston Jameson
: 6' 0"; Senior
: G

#21 Hayden Johnson
: 6' 6"; Senior
: F

#21 Will Francis
: 6' 5"; Sophomore
: G

#44 Andraz Kavas
: 6' 10"; Junior
: F

#23 Blake McNair
: 6' 4"; Junior
: G